Holders of the NFL were busy this week, approving a series of rule changes that share player security and safety addressing the recent kickoff rule changes and by also expanding the use of instant replays.
Owners agreed to a one-year trial of a radical change on kickoffs along with a new system borrowed from what was used in the XFL spring league.
The changes were made in high hopes of limiting the high-speed collisions that made kickoffs so dangerous and hazardous while prompting more returns after a sharp rise in touchbacks in recent years.
One of the new kickoff rules include that standard kicks will still begin from the 35th yard but everything else will look different.
Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback at the 30th yard.
Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone also will result in a touchback at the 30th yard.
These changes will be tested and used to see if players will still interact with the same injuries and collisions, while still finding a solution to make these kickoffs safer.
sad dolphins fan • Apr 26, 2024 at 1:00 pm
i personally disagree with these new kickoff rules because the NFL didn’t really have a lot of injuries on kickoffs before this rule. i get they wanna be safe but the NFL is being too soft, and the new onside kicks only in the 4th is annoying. football is a tough sport. if you get injured, womp womp