The NFL has tried to bring balance to kickoffs for years to no avail. The previous model caused too many injuries, so after a review, we switched to kickoffs from the 35-yard line, resulting in so many dead balls in 2023 that the kickoff process became meaningless.
Now, the league is considering further changes to kickoffs and plans to take a page out of the XFL’s playbook. Team owners are expected to vote on a rule change in March that would shift the kickoff process to the XFL’s model.it looked like the players were finding a balance moving the ball forward without any of the catastrophic injuries we’ve seen in the past.
Under the proposed rule, the kickoff would be returned to the 30-yard line. The receiving team lines up with his number 30, and the rest of the kickoff team lines up with his number 35. Only the kicker and returner can move before the ball is placed. This prevents players from colliding at full speed in both directions, causing most of the gunners and blockers to make contact before reaching maximum speed. This is more like normal play.
If you’re wondering what this looks like, practice what it looks like in the XFL here. If you’ve never seen it before, you might find it a little jarring.
Now, a natural reaction might be to say that this seems like too much of an advantage for the kicking team. If you ignore the trick play and watch the first clip above, you can see that the defender is making first-time contact at his 18-yard line. NFL level tacklers will make plays like that frequently, and if it becomes the norm, it will be a tremendous yardage advantage for the kicking team.
However, this is also a very fair method. Rather, it will reward teams with more skilled placekickers, rather than players who can buzz off the tee on every attempt. A team with a good kicker who can accurately place the ball in the field of play will lead to long offensive drives, which will partially prevent the spread of offense-friendly rules.
Chairman of the NFL Competition Committee Rich McKay told CBS Sports the league is considering all options..
“We have to be open-minded enough to say, ‘Can we put plays that are out of the game back in the game?'”
There is little doubt that the lack of kick returns takes the exciting element out of the game. Devin Hester is in the 2024 Hall of Fame class for his skills as a returner, but it would be a shame to never see such a specialist again in Canton if kickoffs are completely eliminated from the game. .
It’s an innovative move that will definitely ruffle feathers, but the NFL seems willing to think outside the box, even if it means borrowing from other leagues.
