The drastic changes to the NFL's kickoff caught the attention of former President Donald Trump on Friday, as he blasted the change in a post on Truth Social.
"I can’t believe the NFL is effectively getting rid of the always exciting Kick Off Return. Such an exciting part of football. What are they doing? BEGINNING OF THE END!" Trump wrote.
The NFL's new kickoff rule has dramatically changed the function and aesthetic from what old-fashioned fans are used to, causing some confusion early in the season.
The new rules have changed the alignment of both teams, while also incorporating various zones that play a key role in what players are allowed to do.
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Now, all kicking team players will have to line up with a foot on the receiving team’s 40-yard line, compared to when they had to line up all the way back at their own 35-yard line. The kicking team's players must also wait until the ball hits the ground or the player is in the "landing zone" or end zone to start running. The "landing zone" is from the receiving team’s 20-yard line to the goal line.
Meanwhile, the receiving team has a designated "setup 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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There, at least seven of those nine players must have a foot on the 35-yard line. Those not on the 35-yard line will need to be in the setup zone outside the hash marks. Additionally, like the kicking team, the receiving team players cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone.
The purpose of the changes was to reduce the risk of injuries, as the kickoff has traditionally been the most dangerous play in football while also encouraging more returns. The previous rule involved players running at one another at high speeds from long distances, resulting in common high-speed collisions.
Kickoff rules have been adjusted several times before in response to the high risk of injury from play.
In 2011, the league moved kickoffs forward five yards to the 35-yard line, making it easier to kick the ball deep into the end zone and leading to more touchbacks with teams starting at the 20-yard line. In 2016, touchbacks placed teams at 25, which further encouraged them. Then last season, returners could call for a fair catch anywhere, not just in the end zone, for a touchback, resulting in the lowest return rate in NFL history.
So, now the league is using this new rule to ensure safety while promoting returns.
This new rule is inspired by the kickoff rules from the XFL – a now-defunct lower-budget competitor to the NFL. 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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