NFL hoping to increase success of onside kicks with rule change
Changes to the rules of NFL are being considered by the owners, as is customary at this time of year and one interesting proposal surrounds onside kicks.
Last weekend, special teams coordinators from across the league gathered at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. They came up with a new, detailed concept for kickoff rules.
One such change could have a big impact on the onside kick, which is when a kickoff is deliberately kicked short so the kicking team can get the ball back.
The new suggestions would only let teams try an onside kick when they're losing in the fourth quarter - and they would have to tell everyone what they are planning to do beforehand. The exact wording is still being worked out and the owners need to agree to the rule change, but things are moving towards this happening.
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Last season, just over 5 percent of onside kicks were recovered. According to the new rules, if the kickoff team says they're going to try an onside kick, they would be allowed to use a 6x4 formation that could increase their chances of getting the ball back.
If the new rules are agreed as expected, we should see more onside kicks and more successful ones too. This could lead to more exciting finishes and late comebacks.
However, the setup area will now be in front of the ball, which takes away another surprise element because a different formation is needed.
The setup zone is being affected by these changes as the kick and return teams are set to line up on the receiving team's 40- and 35-yard lines, respectively. They cannot leave until the ball is touched or reaches the 'target zone', which is essentially the red zone.
The new kickoff rules are aimed at reducing injuries while increasing returns (No credit)The changes will also affect touchbacks. The proposed regulations suggest if a ball is kicked into the end zone, the receiving team will start in possession from the 35-yard line.
If the ball is kicked into the target zone and rolls into the end zone, the receiving team will start from the 20-yard line. However, if the ball doesn't cross the 20-yard line in the air, it's treated as out of bounds and the receiving team gets possession at their own 40-yard line.
Following rule changes pertaining to kickoffs ahead of the 2023 season inspired by health and safety, just 22 percent of kickoffs were returned - including none in the Super Bowl. The NFL then tasked special teams coordinators with creating a rule that both increases return rates and delivers an acceptable injury rate, and these proposals are the response of those coaches.
The essence of the idea was to increase the frequency of returns while also reducing space and speed in play, therefore reducing injuries. A vote to confirm the rule changes could be held at the NFL annual meeting, which is scheduled for March 24-27.
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