The NFL offseason continues on Sunday, with offensive linemen set to participate in on-field drills to conclude the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. However, with the league’s annual rules meeting quickly approaching, special team coordinators met Saturday at the combine to craft a new kickoff rule emphasizing onside kicks.
The assistant coaches will propose a rule to the NFL limiting teams to kicking onside kicks only when trailing in the fourth quarter. The kicking team must also declare their intentions to try an onside kick before the attempt. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the language continues to be finalized.
NFL Eyeing New Kickoff Rule Emphasizing Onside Kick Recovery Percentages
According to Pelissero, the new kickoff rule formulated by current NFL special teams coordinators will make onside tries a fourth-quarter delicacy. A team can also only attempt an onside kick while trailing. However, Pelissero states that the language of the rule could provide the kicking team with a more realistic opportunity to recover.
No surprises: The new kickoff rule crafted by NFL special teams coordinators would allow teams to attempt an onside kick only when trailing in the fourth quarter — and require them to declare it in advance, per sources.
Language still being finalized and owners must approve. pic.twitter.com/HYJKv3EZtP
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 3, 2024
Under the new language, the kicking team could use an unbalanced formation, putting six players to one side. Currently, each side of the kicker needs five players. Pelissero states just 5.2% of onside kicks in 2023 resulted in the kicking team recovering. Meanwhile, only two onside kicks were considered “surprises.”
Touchback Proposal
The rule proposal also changes the “setup zone” for kick attempts. The kickoff and kickoff return teams would line up on the receiving teams’ 40- and 35-yard lines and would be unable to leave until the ball was “touched or reached the target zone” (20-yard line to goal line). As for touchbacks, a ball kicked into the end zone results in the receiving team taking over at their 35-yard line. If a ball rolls into the end zone and is not returned, the receiving team takes over at their 20-yard line.
Additionally, Pelissero emphasizes that the NFL asked the league’s current special teams coordinators to construct a rule proposal that increased return rates while keeping injuries down. Teams returned just 23% of kickoffs last season.
The rule change would incentivize the kicking team to avoid booting the ball out the back of the endzone but instead, try to kick it just short. Conversely, the return team would likely field the ball instead of letting it roll out the back of the endzone and start with the ball at the 20-yard line.
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