It was starting to get old: a thrilling kickoff soars toward the home team, ending in a touchback, resetting the game at the 25-yard line and cutting the action short.
But the new NFL season, which begins tonight with the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, promises fewer touchbacks and more returns as the league adopts its new “dynamic kickoff” rules approved by NFL owners earlier this year.
Follow us for live coverage
Here’s what you need to know.
Why this change?
The kick-off rules have been adjusted several times before, in response to the high risk of injury from high-speed collisions during play, since players on the kicking team would have a head start before the returning team catches the ball.
In 2011, the league moved kickoffs forward five yards to the 35-yard line, making it easier to kick the ball into the end zone and allowing for more touchbacks with teams starting at the 20-yard line. In 2016, touchbacks moved teams to the 25-yard line, further incentivizing them. Last season, returning players could claim a fair catch anywhere, not just in the end zone, for a touchback, resulting in the lowest return rate in NFL history.
A dilemma arose: Injuries declined, but kickoffs became less exciting. So the league decided to implement a one-year trial of a radically different system, more in line with the XFL’s style.
What are the new rules?
Standard kicks will continue to start at 35 yards, but the rest of the setup looks quite different, involving an area called the “landing zone” between the receiving team’s end zone and the 20-yard line. You may have seen this area highlighted by a rectangle in preseason broadcasts.
This is what the kickoff setup now looks like:
- The 10 players of the kicking team will line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line and may not move until the ball touches a player or the ground in the touchdown zone or end zone.
- The returning team may have a maximum of two returners anywhere in the touchdown zone, while at least nine players line up between their 30- and 35-yard lines (or the “setup zone”) with at least seven players touching the 35. Only the kickers and the two returners may move until the ball touches a player or the ground in the touchdown zone or end zone.
By putting teams closer together early and restricting their movement, players have less space and speed for the high-force collisions that have plagued the league in the past.
Here are the main changes to touchbacks and feedback:
- If the ball reaches the end zone in the air, the receiving team may return it or opt for a touchback and possession at the 30-yard line.
- If the ball touches the touchdown zone and then enters the end zone, the receiving team may return it or opt for a touchback and possession at the 20.
- Any kick that touches the landing zone (but does not enter the end zone) must be returned.
- Any kick out of bounds or short of the landing zone places the ball at the 40-yard line.
This could prompt teams to kick the ball just short of the end zone, forcing a comeback and creating more space for an exciting play. But kickers could still kick the ball deep to the 30, even if it gives the receiving team better starting position than in previous seasons.
What do people think so far?
The new rules have sparked debate among players and fans about whether or not they will encourage returns. Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, for one, is skeptical because he believes a possession on the 30-yard line is still not worth the risk of giving up a long return.
After the Hall of Fame game last month, Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus said teams will have to try different things and adjust to the new rules as the preseason and regular season unfold.
Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce admitted to his brother Jason on their New Heights podcast that he was “so against” the new rules at first, but changed his mind after seeing them unfold.
“I’m so excited. I think it’s fun,” Kelce said. “It’s always electric. The guy with the ball is always hitting it as hard as he can.”
Meanwhile, fans on social media have expressed mixed reactions to the rules, with some calling them a “joke” while others have shared their excitement for a new look.
So far, the preseason has seen more returns. According to the NFL, 70.5 percent of kickoffs in 49 preseason games have been returned, up from 54.8 percent in last year’s preseason. But the average returner has reached the 28-yard line, just two yards shy of a 30-yard touchdown, and teams could continue to change their minds about how to approach the new format.
In addition to the kickoff rules, this season’s new rules limit kickoffs to the fourth quarter and require teams to call them in advance. The league also introduced a ban on hip tackles, which drew criticism from many players on social media.
It may be too early to assess the impact the NFL’s new rules will have. But all eyes will be on the spectators as the country resumes cheering on its favorite sport.
nbcnews
