The NFL's competition committee proposed a revamped kickoff and a ban to the 'hip drop tackle,' among potential rule changes that owners will vote on next week.
Pat McAfee and Saints special teams coach Darren Rizzi break down the proposed changes to kickoffs in the NFL. Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him via Twitter @SeifertESPN.
In the event a team wants to attempt an onside kick, it would have to inform officials of its intent and would then be allowed to use the NFL's traditional formation. No surprise onside kicks would be allowed. The reason for the proposed changes is clear. In its efforts to reduce concussions on kickoffs, the NFL over the past 15 seasons has implemented rule changes designed to reduce returns. It moved the kickoff from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line, outlawed wedge and double-team blocks and in 2023 created a rule that allowed a fair catch to be spotted at the 25-yard line.
It is unclear how owners will react to the changes. When the XFL and USFL merged this season, the resulting UFL discarded the XFL version and opted to use the traditional NFL kickoff alignment.
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