NFL Set To Vote On New Kickoff Format That Could Change The Game

Getty Image / Rob Carr

Kickoff returns used to be one of the most exhilarating plays in football. One of the best athletes in the league evading tackles by multiple defenders en route to a touchdown was always a thrilling highlight.

In recent years, kick returns have become increasingly rare due to rule changes and increases in kicking power and prowess. The NFL has been talking about ways to reintroduce the kickoff into the game in a way that is safe for players but exciting for fans, and now they may be nearing a vote on the proposal.

The league’s owners could vote on the new proposal as soon as Tuesday as they continue to meet this week.

The Proposal Would Significantly Change Kickoffs

This would not just be a little tweak to kickoffs. Instead, it’s a massive overhaul. Here’s the Akron Beacon-Journal with more on what the change would entail.

The NFL Competition Committee has proposed a one-year trial to amend the kickoff return. The rule proposed, according to the league release, “is designed to: (1) resemble a typical scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed; and (2) promote more returns. Permits the Replay Official automatically review whether a free kick legally touched the ground or a receiving team player in the landing zone.”

The rule established that 21 of the 22 players on the field at the time of the kickoff will be on the receiving team’s side of the 50. The only player who would be on the kicking team’s side of the 50 would be the kicker, who would still kick the ball from his own 35.

The other 10 players on the kicking team would line up across the opposing team’s 40. The return team would have to have at least seven players — and often closer to nine — in what is known as the “set up zone,” a five-yard area between their own 35 and 30.

Return teams are allowed a maximum of two players to line up in the “landing zone,” which is a newly conceived area between the goal line and the return team’s 20. That landing zone is a critical piece of the proposal, because the ball must either touch a player or the ground in that zone before anyone other than a return specialist can move.

• Kickoffs must be returned if they hit the landing zone;
• Kickoffs that hit in the landing zone and go into the end zone must be returned or downed. If downed, the ball is marked at the return team’s 20-yard line.
• Kickoffs that go into the end zone, either by being downed or by going out the back out of end zone, for touchbacks would go out to the return team’s 30-yard line, which was modified on Sunday by the committee
• Kickoffs that come up short of the landing zone would be treated like it went out of bounds and the return team would get the ball at its own 40-yard line

That’s a huge change, and there are some players who all of a sudden could become increasingly valuable due to the change. Think about a guy like Cordarrelle Patterson. The versatile offensive weapon has long been one of the league’s best players with the ball in his hands, including on kick returns. But, he wasn’t getting many chances to return kicks before. Now, players like him will have the ability to significantly impact the game and bring some excitement back to kickoffs.

Emphasis will also be put on kickers who can consistently kick the ball to the correct spot called for that particular kick coverage, instead of just booting it through the end zone. It will certainly add a different element to the game.