Kickoffs in the NFL will look different this year. It was decided this spring that the kickoff would be overhauled, with the hope of revitalizing a play that was little used last season as most kickoffs did not result in returns while maintaining player safety standards.
A number of other rule changes were also approved by the owners, including the banning of the “swivel hip-drop” tackle that had caused several injuries as well as an increase in instant replays.
In the annual Hall of Fame game between Houston and Chicago, the new rules were tested for the first time Thursday night.
The NFL’s New Kick Off Featured Between The Chicago Bears And Houston Texans
Below is how the new kickoff looks in the NFL:
The NFL ruined the kick off. So lame. Where’s the build up? Little league vibepic.twitter.com/LJi6MEOIBi
— Uzi Obi (@ObiUzi) August 2, 2024
According to Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports:
The kicker will still be at the 35-yard line. The kick coverage players will be lined up at the opponents’ 40-yard line. The returning team will have nine blockers lined up between their 30- and 35-yard line. Then one or two returners will be inside the 20. The coverage players and blockers can’t move until the ball is touched by a returner or hits the ground.
Any kickoff that falls in the “landing zone” from the 20-yard line to the goal line must be returned. A kickoff that falls in the landing zone and bounces into the end zone must be returned or downed for a touchback to the 20-yard line. A kickoff that reaches the end zone on the fly can be returned or downed for a touchback to the 30-yard line. If a kick fails to reach the 20-yard line, the returning team gets the ball at the 40-yard line.
The differences will force kicking teams to consider strategies and presumably try to have more kickoffs fall between the 20-yard line and goal line.
Here is another video break down:
The NFL’s new dynamic kickoff rules 👀 pic.twitter.com/1N02SW7e4k
— ESPN (@espn) August 2, 2024
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