Anytime the league makes a major rule change, it’s due to something that happened in the previous Super Bowl. During this past Super Bowl there were thirteen kickoffs that resulted in thirteen touchbacks. Not very exciting if you’re paying big bucks to air the best product on television. To show how desperate the NFL was to make all aspects of the game desirable to watch, they did something they never do, steal something from another league. At the NFL’s Annual League Meeting in late March, they adopted the new kickoff format that was originally used in the XFL. Their reasoning was, besides increasing kickoff returns, to reduce player speed and high-speed collisions. According to the NFL Football Operations Data team, there were a record low 22% of kickoffs returned in 2023. In 2024 this should increase to 50 to 60%. The average XFL team after a kickoff, started drives around their own 30-yard line, whereas in 2023, the average start for the NFL was the 25-yard line. Specifically, in 2023, 88% of drives in the NFL started between the 21-to-30-yard line. In 2023 in the XFL, drives started from the 31-yard line and beyond 30% of the time and only 17% of drives started inside the 20-yard line.

How does all this work? The ball will still be placed at the kickoff’s team 35-yard line. The rest of the kickoff team will line up with one foot on the receiving teams 40-yard line. After kickoff, the kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line until the ball hits the ground or player in the landing zone or end zone. The other 10 kicking team players can’t move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone. The landing zone area is between the return team’s 20-yard line and the goal line. As for the return team, at least nine players must line up in the set-up zone, the area between their 35- and 30-yard line. Of the nine, at least seven must have their foot on the 35-yard line, now called the restraining line. Any player not with a foot on the restraining line, must line up outside the hash marks. No player in the set-up zone can move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone. There can be a maximum of two returners lined up in the landing zone and they can move any time prior to and during the kick.

If the ball lands outside the landing zone, it’s a touchback and the ball is placed at the return team’s 40-yard line. Any kick that hits in the landing zone must be returned. If it hits in the landing zone and then goes into the endzone, it must be returned of downed. If downed, it will be placed at the return team’s 20-yard line. If the kick hits in the endzone, in bounds, it must be returned or downed, if downed it will be placed at the return team’s 30-yard line. If the kick goes out if the back of the end zone, by air or by bounce, it will be placed at the return team’s 30-yard line. No fair catch signal is allowed.

This new format will have a definite impact on team’s rosters. More teams will use running backs as returners because of the short field between the kicking team and the return team. The Browns signed Nyheim Hines before the announcement and the Steelers signed Cordarrelle Patterson shortly after the format change. Both are excellent all-around running backs and returners. The Browns during OTA’s and mandatory minicamp had defensive ends lined up on the kickoff teams. Kansas City experimented with a non-kicker (safety Justin Reid) attempting kickoffs to protect their kicker from injury. Finally, NFL practice squads will more than likely carry an extra returner. Because if this new format, there will be more returns for touchdowns and more games decided by a kick return. It could make this year’s preseason games more fun to watch.