The NFL (National Football League) continues to modernize football with yet another rule transformation, this time affecting the kickoff. Lately, rule-changing has been quite a frequent thing going on in the NFL because league officials are trying to make games safer for players and reduce the rising injury rate. This is definitely not the first time that a kickoff rule has been tweaked, but it will, however, affect the play more than any other.
Prior to the rule change, the receiving player has the option to fair catch the ball which means wherever he catches the ball is where it is downed and that is where the offense will begin. In this rule, according to operations.NFL.com, no players from the kicking team can move until the ball is either touched by the returner or hits the ground, stationary until one of the two things happens. If they move before the team will be penalized. The new landing zone is between the 20-yard line and the receiving team’s goal line. If a kick happens to fall short of the 20-yard line, the kicking team will receive a penalty and the ball will be placed at the 40-yard line. If the ball lands in the shown landing zone, then the ball must be returned.
The past few seasons time has been wasted while waiting on the wind to “die down,” to help the game go faster the NFL has made a rule that if the ball falls off the tee two times in a row, then the kicker will be allowed to use a kicking tee. In years past, if the ball repeatedly falls off the tee, then a player will hold it. The final rule that will have a great effect on the game is that if a team chooses to attempt an onside kick, then they have to declare it to the officials who will notify the receiving team. This will only be allowed in the final quarter of each game.
I believe this will help the NFL have more viewers because if the ball lands in the landing zone, the returner has to run it out until he is stopped. This will also help the game to have a shorter run time because time will be taken off the clock during the return, so games will not last as long. Over the last ten years, the NFL kickoff has become a boring chunk of the game, where many fans will skip out due to its lack of action. With this new rule, kickoff returns increase, which will bump up viewership with it. The new uncertainty of returns will create new situations for head coaches to try and strategize around and overall create a new meaning for the special teams department within an organization.
These are just some of the many rule changes that will occur in the NFL this season. These are put in place to help the game become more interesting and fun for the viewers by having more action while also keeping the game safe. Being the headliner to the new rules slate, this will be the most interesting new sight for the viewers and players alike. Hopefully, this rule kicks off a safe and fun-filled season that will be remembered for the years to come.
