West Atlanta News

The NFL has made a significant change to its kickoff rule aiming to enhance both safety and excitement within the game. The league's team owners voted to shift the starting position after a touchback from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line, following a successful first phase of the dynamic kickoff rule enacted last year.

Darren Rizzi, special teams coordinator and assistant head coach for the Denver Broncos, who played a pivotal role in shaping the initial implementation, stated, "We're going to bring more excitement back." He emphasized the Competition Committee's dual goal of enhancing safety while boosting excitement. He confirmed, "We certainly check the box in area No. 1," indicating the rule's success in improving player safety.

According to information from the NFL, the 2024 season experienced a notable decrease in concussions, with a 17% decrease compared to 2023. This affected all preseason and regular season practices and games. The dynamic kickoff played a role by reducing player speeds during kickoffs, traditionally regarded as one of the sport's more perilous actions. This decrease in speed resulted in fewer injuries, including the least number of lower extremity strains since at least 2018.

Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, noted that the first year's outcomes were aligned with their expectations, stating, "The outcome of the first year, from an injury perspective, was very close to what we modeled and expected it to be." Historically, kickoff plays have shown higher injury and concussion rates compared to other types of plays, prompting these discussions and rule changes.

The 2024 season saw an enhancement in competitive play on special teams. The return rate on kickoffs increased from 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% in 2024, with a total of 919 returns compared to just 332 the previous year. On average, teams began their drive from the 30-yard line after kickoffs, with returns starting slightly behind at the 29-yard line.

Moving the touchback to the 35-yard line in 2025 is anticipated to prompt teams to drive the ball into the landing zone, thereby increasing the likelihood of a return and avoiding gifting the opponent five additional yards.

Despite only achieving seven touchdowns from kickoff returns and 59 "big play" returns spanning over 40 yards, Rizzi identified potential in the future modification, stating, "Who knows exactly what the percentage is going to be? I would tell you, probably in the 70-75% range, the return rate, but that remains to be seen."

In addition to influences on the kickoffs themselves, the dynamic kickoff rule affected overall gameplay. The rate of punts declined from 39.4% in 2023 to 34.9% in 2024, whereas scoring avenues, such as touchdowns and field goals, increased. The points per drive consequently rose from 1.77 in 2023 to 2.01 in 2024.

Ultimately, as Rizzi pointed out, "The play was a tremendous success," driving the decision to revert the touchback to the 35-yard line, aligning with the original proposal's intent.