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The NFL loves to tinker with the game to achieve a desired result, and it looks like they’re doing it again with kickoffs.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL is working on adjustments to onside kicks, and also considering a series of rules designed to make kickoffs “exciting again.”
NFL special teams coordinators reportedly met at the NFL scouting combine over the weekend and crafted more rules for onside kicks, which are harder to pull off than ever before. According to Pelissero, teams would only be able to attempt an onside kick if they’re trailing in the fourth quarter, and they would have to let the other team know they’re doing it in advance.
No surprises: The new kickoff rule crafted by NFL special teams coordinators would allow teams to attempt an onside kick only when trailing in the fourth quarter — and require them to declare it in advance, per sources.
Language still being finalized and owners must approve. pic.twitter.com/HYJKv3EZtP
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 3, 2024
“If the kickoff team declares they’re attempting an onside kick, they potentially could be allowed to utilize an unbalanced (6×4) formation, raising odds of recovery,” Pelissero posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Just 5.2% were recovered in 2023 and there just two surprise onside kicks, thanks largely to run-ups being banned.”
In addition to the onside kick rules, the NFL reportedly wants to make kickoffs interesting again after changing the rules to protect player health and safety. Via Pelissero:
Setup zone: The kick and return teams would line up on the receiving team’s 40- and 35-yard lines, respectively, and not leave until the ball is touched or reaches the “target zone” (20-yard line to goal line).
Touchbacks: If the ball is kicked into the end zone, the receiving team gets it at the 35. If the ball is kicked into the target zone and rolls into the end zone, the receiving team gets it at the 20.
The rule on touchbacks is particularly interesting….
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Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-03-03 20:35:20
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