Now that the new kickoff rule is yielding more efficiency, the NFL is open to further adjustments
The NFL made sweeping changes to its kickoff rules in March, with the intention of increasing the number of kickoff returns while also reducing the risk of a high rate of serious injuries. While it is too early to make any concrete statements, preseason results indicate that the number of kickoff returns could increase significantly this season.
In a press conference focused on health and safety on Monday, the NFL announced that the kickoff return rate after two weeks of preseason play is about 78 percent. By 2023, the regular-season kickoff return rate will be just 21.8 percent, according to TruMedia.
Kickoff return percentage tends to be higher in the preseason as teams look to refine their strategy and give their hopefuls on special teams more reps, but there’s still a notable increase. From 2020-23, the average preseason kickoff return percentage was just 54.7 percent.
The NFL does not yet have data on kickoff return injuries, so it is not possible to say whether the rule has prevented players from getting injured more often.
“Obviously, sample size is a big deal,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said Monday. “There’s nothing out of the ordinary to this point. There haven’t been any unusual findings in the first two weeks as far as injury rates or types of injuries, but that’s obviously something we’ll continue to monitor very closely.”
The average kickoff return in the preseason was 25 yards, up from 23 yards last season. There were 39 kickoff returns of 30 or more yards in the preseason; there were only 97 such returns in the entire last season. Again, the sample size is small, but that suggests there will be more explosive plays on kickoff returns this year.
“We’ve seen a lot more punt returns, we’ve seen some more dynamic punts — meaning big plays — and we’ve seen a greater spread of where drives start,” Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of player health and safety, said Monday.
Another big difference is the average starting position of teams after kickoffs. In 2023, the average starting position for teams after kickoff returns or touchbacks was their own 25.2-yard line. In the 2024 preseason, that number has increased to the team’s own 28.1-yard line.
Since touchbacks result in the ball being placed on the receiving team’s 30-yard line, the question arises whether teams will settle for touchbacks in an attempt to prevent explosive returns. The preseason touchback percentage is just 19 percent, which is significantly lower than last year’s regular-season rate of 73 percent, but that could change once the regular season begins.
When asked if the NFL could adjust the kickoff rule to institute a stricter penalty for touchbacks before the start of the regular season, the league left the door open.
“It’s a one-year rule change, so we expect to evaluate it throughout the season,” NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte said Monday. “As things progress through the preseason, it’s entirely possible we’ll see some changes as we get into the regular season. We’ll continue to monitor it. … There’s a lot to see as we get into the regular season.”
It’s rare for the NFL to make rule changes during the regular season, but Aponte didn’t completely rule out the possibility that the league would tweak the new kickoff rules.
“Our goal is always to have the rule in place going into the season. I never say never — there are people above my pay grade who can decide that — but that’s the goal,” Aponte said. “We’ll continue to evaluate it throughout the season. And anything that needs clarification will come forward as needed.”
(Photo: Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
