The new National Football League kickoff rules will not only be beneficial for player safety but also begin games with more exciting action than the previous rules had promoted.
The NFL unveiled new kickoff rules this season, changing the starting positions of the returning team’s blockers and adding new zones that determine where the ball will be placed after the kickoff.
Previously, the receiving team lined up in a cone shape away from the kicker and would begin blocking as soon as the ball was kicked. Now, no players can move until after the ball hits the ground or the returner’s hands.
Additionally, the new rules add a landing zone between the receiving team’s end zone and the 20-yard line, where the ball must land. If it doesn’t, it is designated as a kick out of bounds and placed on the 40-yard line.
Under the old rules, a touchback would automatically move the ball to the 25-yard line, whereas now if the ball lands in the landing zone and rolls into the endzone it is placed on the 20-yard line. If the ball lands in the end zone, then it is placed on the 30-yard line.
These new rules will help to decrease unnecessary injuries by removing the aspect of full-speed downhill blocks and tackles without removing the exciting action of a kick return.
By placing the teams together in the setup zone, the receiving team will be able to run blocking schemes, reverses, and plays as if the kickoff is a more extended handoff.
Instead of the coverage team having the advantage of running full-speed at the blockers, they will now begin within the setup zone, removing a lot of the difficulty for the blockers.
The receiving team also has the option to place two returners in the landing zone, opening up the door to trick plays like reverses, backward passes, and hook and ladder returns.
In the setup zone, teams can now organize their blockers by size to have pulling guards, trap concepts, and speedy edge blockers to create explosive plays.
The NFL has made changes over the last few years to the kickoff to reduce injuries, but with these new changes the league will increase returns and big plays without forfeiting the reduction in injuries.
According to preseason data from this season and last, over 30% more kickoffs are being returned, with 18 being returned over 40 yards, the most in the last decade.
The new rules are also giving offenses a slight advantage in field position, which could help increase scoring and production, especially since the average points per game has decreased for the last five years.
While these new rules might make the game look different than last year, they will ultimately keep players safer and fans happier.