NFL will kickoff with revolutionary experiment in 2024

Envision the field day coaches, players, and fans will have when the world discovers how much all three aspects, including special teams can significantly impact a game. 

The NFL Competition Committee adopted a new rule from the XFL, which will ultimately change the look of kickoffs.

Traditional kickoffs were the epitome of a dangerous collision waiting to happen as players sprinted downfield at full speed with a mission to crash into an opposing player. The intention of restructuring the XFL model is to reduce risk of injuries, create more kickoff returns and impact the opportunities for game-breaking, momentum-shifting plays.

The average NFL starting field position last season was the 25-yard line, in comparison to the average starting field position at the 30-yard line in the XFL. Kickers will no longer aim to routinely boot the leather through the back of the end zone, because a touchback that lands in the end zone will give the opposing team possession at the 30-yard line.

The football will be placed at the 30-yard line and the kickoff coverage team will be lined up five yards away from the return team at the far 40-yard line. Two players will be stationed on each side outside of the numbers, two players on each side between the numbers and the hash marks, and two players between the narrow hash marks. Special teams players must be set and cannot move until the football is fielded or falls to the ground.

An onside kick attempt must be declared to the officials in the fourth quarter. If a kickoff is chipped short of the landing zone, it will be penalized and treated as if the ball sailed out of bounds, which will give the return team possession at the 40-yard line. Here’s the catch to impel teams to return kicks. If the kickoff falls in the landing zone and then rolls into the end zone for a touchback, the football will be spotted at the 20-yard line.

The return team will be lined up at the opposite 35-yard line. It will be mandatory for seven players to be set on the line of scrimmage and an extra two players can line up staggered outside the hash marks in the set up zone, which is the general area within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Two returners can set back anywhere in the landing zone, from the 20-yard line to the goal line.

Colts special teams coach Brian Mason will seek to establish a pair of the best playmakers who can generate the best field position possible for Indianapolis’ electric offense. Envision the field day coaches, players, and fans will have when the world discovers how much all three aspects, including special teams can significantly impact a game.

NFL teams are prohibited from engaging in 11-on-11 team drills until Organized Team Activities (OTA’s) begin, so coaches will be limited to explaining the rules before implementing plays and strategizing sessions to practice the new hybrid model. The 2024 NFL season will be kicked off with a revolutionary experiment that will ultimately give teams a unique advantage against opponents who cannot catch up to speed.