NFL fans got their first look at the league’s new kickoff rule on Thursday night when the Chicago Bears met the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game.
In an effort to increase the number of kickoff returns as well as cut down on injuries that happen during those plays, the league developed a rule based on the XFL.
The way it works: The return team’s blockers and the kickoff coverage players line up five yards across from each other on the return team’s side of the field. The kicker stands alone on the kicking team’s side of the field and strikes the ball at that 35-yard line (as was the case previously). No players besides the kicker and returners are allowed to start moving until the ball is touched by a returner.
The kick has to land between the goal line and 20-yard line and must be returned when it does. Any kick that lands outside of the landing zone is treated like a kick out of bounds and is spotted at the 40-yard line. Any kick that goes into the end zone or out of the end zone is a touchback taken out to the 30-yard line.
Here is what it looks like in action:
It is a definite change and nobody really knows how it will impact the game over the course of a season. Another new wrinkle to all of this is on windy days when the ball blows off the tee and requires a holder. In those instances, a 12th player will be added to the kickoff team so they can hold the ball. As soon as the ball is kicked, however, they must leave the field immediately. That was also used on Thursday night by the Chicago Bears.
It was only a few years ago that there was a sentiment that the NFL was trying to do away with kickoffs. Now it is going out of its way to make sure there are more of them.
