NFL Changes Kickoff Rule: Touchbacks Now Spotted On 35-Yard Line
Yet again, the NFL is changing things up, this time, at the risk of repetition: the kickoff.
A rule change passed in an effort to boost returns and cut down on automatic touchbacks means the ball will be spotted at the 35-yard line when a kick goes out of bounds in the end zone.
This is a five-yard advantage over last season under the ‘dynamic’ kickoff rule, in which touchbacks were put at the 30-yard line.
What This Means for Teams
The biggest impact of this change?
There will be fewer kickers who try touchbacks. Teams will not want to let opponents start at the 35.
Expect more strategic kicks to be kicked this year. Kickoff return rates are expected to double this year over last — they’re thinking it should jump from one-third of all kickoffs being returned to two-thirds being returned.
That also means that more valuable kickers will be those with precision instead of power.
Rather than bombing the ball into the end zone, teams will seek kickers who will drop the ball within the five-yard line, causing the return. On the other side, return specialists could have more chances to make game-changing plays.
Why the Change?
The NFL is trying to keep the play exciting while keeping the players safe, and in trying to do so, they have experimented with different kickoff formats. The league does not want shaky defenses to let special teams factor into games.
This rule could force more exciting moments and bringing teams another layer of strategy to consider.
What’s Next?
Along with this rule change, the NFL tabled discussion regarding onside kick rule changes and will vote on this later in May. This probably won’t be the last change we see to special teams’ rules as the league continues to change things. They will have another round of votes in May.
Final Thoughts
Rather than a boring/predictable kickoff that doesn’t really ‘start’ the game. This rule might actually make us take a moment and watch the play.
They should discuss kicking it out of the back of the endzone and making it the same penalty as kicking it out of bounds on the side of the field. That probably would have solved the problem right there. With more expected returns and field position now playing an even bigger role, teams must adjust their strategy. Hang on— special teams just got interesting again.
