The drastic changes to the NFL's start caught the attention of former President Donald Trump on Friday, who criticized the change in a post on Truth Social.
“I can't believe the NFL is effectively eliminating the always exciting kickoff return. Such an exciting part of football. What are they doing? THE BEGINNING OF THE END!” Trump wrote.
The NFL's new kickoff rule has drastically changed the function and aesthetic of what traditional fans are used to, causing some confusion at the start of the season.
The new rules have changed the lineup of both teams, but have also introduced several zones that play a key role in what players can do.
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Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders players line up for the opening kickoff in the second half of a preseason game at US Bank Stadium on August 10, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The NFL is debuting a new rule on kickoffs this season. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Now, all players on the kicking team will have to line up with one foot on the receiving team's 40-yard line, compared to before when they had to line up all the way at their own 35-yard line. Players on the kicking team must also wait until the ball hits the ground or the player is in the “landing zone” or end zone to begin running. The “landing zone” runs from the receiving team's 20-yard line to the goal line.
Meanwhile, the receiving team has a designated “staging zone,” which is a five-yard area from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line, where at least nine players must line up facing the kicking team.
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The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers line up for kickoff at Arena Corinthians on September 6, 2024, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Wagner Meier/Getty Images)
There, at least seven of those nine players must have one foot on the 35-yard line. Those not on the 35-yard line must be in the staging area outside the hash marks. Also, like the kicking team, players on the receiving team cannot move until the kick has touched the ground or a player is in the touchdown zone or end zone.
The changes were intended to reduce the risk of injury, as the kick-off has traditionally been the most dangerous play in football, while encouraging a greater number of returns. The previous rule involved players running at each other at high speed from long distances, leading to frequent high-speed collisions.
Kick-off rules have been adjusted several times previously in response to the high risk of injury involved in the game.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attends a Super Bowl Host Committee press conference at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on February 12, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
In 2011, the league moved kickoffs up five yards to the 35-yard line, making it easier to kick the ball into the end zone and leading to more touchbacks with teams starting at the 20-yard line. In 2016, touchbacks moved teams to 25, encouraging them even more. Then last season, returners could call a fair catch anywhere — not just the end zone — for a touchback, resulting in the lowest return rate in NFL history.
Now the league is using this new rule to ensure safety while also promoting returns.
This new rule is modeled after the kickoff rules of the XFL, a low-budget NFL competitor that no longer exists. However, the XFL merged with the USFL to create the UFL this year, and that league ironically uses the traditional kickoff.
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