Understanding the NFL’s New Kickoff Rule and What It Means for Next Season

The NFL‘s 29-3 approval Tuesday of new kick-off rules creates one of the most radical changes ever seen in the league, hoping to bring excitement back to the game while also reducing injuries. With that comes intriguing possibilities for strategy and personnel decisions as teams figure it out on the fly this season.

In 2011, the league wanted to reduce the disproportionate risk of injuries kick off effectively neutralized them by moving the kickoff point from the 30- to the 35-yard line, making it much easier to make touchbacks. In 2016, the NFL incentivized touchbacks by moving the touchback starting point from the 20 to the 25. The measures reduced injuries by reducing the number of returned kicks, but the league did not address the root cause of injuries.

This offseason, special teams coaches Darren Rizzi (New Orleans Saints), John Fassel (Dallas Cowboys) and Richard Hightower (Chicago Bears) meant to save kickoffs. They created the hybrid kick-off — a modified version of Sam Schwartzstein’s custom kickoff for the XFL, which the spring league has been using since its 2020 restart. I spoke with Schwartzstein about his custom kickoff and the process of creating and implementing it for the XFL.

The goal of the new format is to eliminate the running start that players had in traditional kickoffs, which led to massive collisions, concussions, and other injuries. The coverage team and blockers will start five yards apart. Because the lineup and formation have changed, teams can no longer make a surprise onside kick. Teams can still make an onside kick if they are trailing in the fourth quarter and indicate that they intend to do so. Onside kicks will also be played with the new lineup and landing zones.

To achieve the lowest percentage of kick-off returns in @NFL Due to the NFL’s history during the 2023 season and concerns for the health and safety of players, the NFL Competition Committee has proposed a new kickoff rule.

If the new rule is adopted by NFL clubs, the suspense of kickoff returns will remain in the… photo.twitter.com/0ltQpSrAvC

— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) March 22, 2024

The previous changes to kickoffs resulted in onside kicks that were rarely recovered. Last season, only two surprise onside kicks were attempted and neither was successful.

Understanding the Basics

Basic Rules for Hybrid Kickoffs in the NFL

Zone rules:

• The ball must be returned if it is kicked into the landing zone.
• If the ball is kicked too far from the landing zone or out of bounds, it is placed on the 40-yard line.
• The ball can still be returned if it rolls into the end zone or is kicked through the air into the end zone.
• If the ball is kicked into the landing zone, rolls into the end zone and is downed by the kickoff team, the ball is placed on the 20-yard line.
• If the ball is kicked through the air into the end zone and lands on the ground, it is placed on the 30-yard line.

(Drew Jordan/The Athletic)

Procedural:

• Each member of the covering team (kick team), except the kicker, must have one foot on the 40-yard line.
• The covering team may not move until the ball is touched by the return team or touches the ground in the landing zone.
• The return team can have nine to ten players blocking in the setup zone, depending on whether it has one or two returners (maximum two returners).
• The return team must have at least seven players on the 35-yard line (two or three players may be off the line, but must be in the set-up area).
• The returning team may not move until the ball is touched or touches the ground (a referee will presumably signal when they may move, as they will have their backs to the landing zone).

How these rules will be enforced and punished is not yet clear, and is likely still under discussion.

The full set of rules can be found here.

Schwartzstein and his team with the XFL didn’t know what to expect from their format. Would there be touchdowns on every kick? Would the coverage team swarm the ball too quickly? Sure, they had their theories, but no one could know for sure, so they tested it in the minor leagues and with junior colleges for two years before implementing it with the XFL. They went to schools like Pearl River and Mississippi Gulf Coast and essentially paid them to experiment. They held meetings with coaching staffs and players, came back a month later, ran drills, and then tested their rules in controlled exhibition games. As far as we know, the NFL hasn’t tested their version, and while it’s very similar to the XFL’s, the small differences could make an impact.

The key differences from the XFL kickoff:

• The XFL only allows one returner because they didn’t want the second returner to become a lead blocker and build up speed, increasing the chance of a high-impact collision.
• If the ball lands on the ground in the landing zone, XFL players in the lineup zone may not move until the ball is picked up or until the ball has been on the ground for more than three seconds.
• The XFL kicked off from the 30-yard line instead of the 35-yard line to make it harder for touchbacks.

Schwartzstein and his team used the data from their testing to adjust their rules and format in the final product they unveiled when the XFL debuted. It will be interesting to see what results the NFL’s adjustments yield. For example, in one of Schwartzstein’s early tests, the ball hit the ground in the landing zone and because no one could move in the setup zone until the returner touched the ball, the returner took his time before picking up the ball. This gave the play an awkward pause that Schwartzstein didn’t want, hence the three-second timer from the time the ball hit the ground.

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The NFL will allow players to move once the ball hits the ground. While this will solve the pause problem, it could encourage more ground balls and allow the coverage team to get to the returner too quickly. Without testing, some of the NFL’s adjustments could have unintended consequences. They will likely test in spring practice, training camp, and the preseason, but by then it may be too late to adjust the rules.

This hybrid kickoff is like unlocking a new mini-game in soccer. The first teams to figure out how to strategize and get creative with coverage and returns will have a huge advantage this season. The proximity of the coverage team and blockers completely changes the kickoff strategy. The schemes will be more like offensive line blocking schemes. Double teams and wedge blocking, previously limited to return units, will be allowed. However, the second returner, who would become a lead blocker, cannot be part of a double team.

One strategy is to reset the line of scrimmage, meaning that the blockers attack the coverage team to make contact earlier instead of waiting for it. Some XFL teams have used pin-and-pull schemes where blockers pin defenders inside while other blockers pull around them.

In this clip from the XFL, the return team left the third player off the sideline on the coverage team unblocked, allowing him to be caught by an outside player. The idea is similar to a trap play offenses run. Some other run-blocking schemes and principles should translate to kick returns. Offensive line coaches could be helpful resources for special teams coordinators in setting up plays.

Here is a creative reversal where a player from the set-up zone circled to get the ball. Because there is no baseline of ideas and concepts for hybrid kickoffs, plays will be experimental. Coaches will need to figure out best practices on the fly and be willing to be creative.

How teams implement personnel will also be interesting. Instead of traditional return specialists, who tend to be better open-field runners, teams may want to use running backs, who have great vision and can anticipate a lane opening and hit it at full speed. The returner only has to get one level, so avoiding open-field may not be as important. Perhaps teams use their star running backs as returners in big games. Saquon-Barkley could be scary as a returnee for the Philadelphia EaglesThe . San Francisco 49ers could Deebo Samuel have and Christian McCaffrey both backs and returners. Who will teams use as blockers? Will return units consist of tight ends and perhaps a few very athletic offensive linemen? Will coverage teams use defensive linemen, who can quickly shed blocks?

The possibilities are endless. Because of the safety measures, teams should be willing to use more starters on these units, especially if there is a greater chance of field position or touchdowns. With top special teams coordinators and incredible athletes, the hybrid kickoff has the potential to be spectacular. But because there are no set basic strategies, there is also the potential for a large gap in parity. Teams that fail to figure it out can quickly fall behind. Those teams may have to attempt touchbacks and give opponents the ball on the 30-yard line. Devising strategies for the hybrid kickoff will be something of an arms race in the coming season.

(Top photo: John McCoy and Tom Hauck/Getty Images)