New rule changes are often proposed and approved at the annual NFL owners’ meetings. On Tuesday, a new Kickoff Rule was approved with a vote of 27-3. This rule is considered to be safer and more entertaining than the previous one. The new rule will be enforced for a one-year trial period and must be reapproved next year.
Under the new rule, ten players from the kicking team and at least nine from the receiving team will line up just five yards apart. Nobody except for the kicker and the returners can move until the receiving team catches the ball. The kicking team will now kick from their 35-yard line, which will help prevent the slew of injuries that have occurred in the past, when players ran at full speed during kickoffs.
If a kick lands in the endzone for a touchback, the opposing team will receive the ball at the 30-yard line. If the ball is kicked out of bounds or short of the 20, the opposing team will be awarded the ball at the 40-yard line. Similar to the small sample size from the XFL, the injuries went down, and the returns on kickoffs increased.
The Shield is looking for the same results; take a look at the new rule change below.
