The National Football League’s new kickoff rule has already seen a few adjustments since being given the green light in March, and there’s a possibility that more changes could be on the horizon before the 2024 season kicks off.
During a recent conference call with reporters, NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte hinted at a potential alteration to the touchback rule, possibly moving it from the 30-yard line out to the 35-yard line. While she didn’t completely dismiss the idea, she did mention that any changes would be unlikely at this point.
“It would be not likely,” Aponte stated via the Associated Press. “The way that we passed this and discussed it with the competition committee as well as membership at large was really about continuing to evaluate. It is a one-year rule change, so we anticipate to evaluate this throughout the season.”
Despite the touchback potentially remaining unchanged, Aponte did mention that other adjustments could still be in the works.
“As things progress through the preseason, it’s very possible that we will see some changes as we head into the regular season,” Aponte said, as reported by The Athletic. “We will continue to monitor it.”
The NFL has already implemented a couple of minor tweaks to the kickoff rule, including banning kickers from putting the football sideways on the tee and allowing a 12th man on the field to hold the ball for the kicker in inclement weather situations.
So far in the preseason, one aspect of the new kickoff rule appears to be successful: an increase in the number of returns. During the first two weeks of preseason games, 78% of kickoffs have been returned, a significant jump from last year’s preseason rate of 63%. However, concerns have arisen as the average starting field position for returns has been at the 28.3-yard line.
With the potential for returners to bring the ball deep into opposing territory, teams may opt to kick the ball out of the end zone, sacrificing only 1.7 yards of field position on average but eliminating the risk of a long return or touchdown.
The longest kickoff return during the preseason thus far has been 74 yards, showcasing the explosive potential of kick returners.
Should teams begin utilizing touchback strategies to limit returns, it could reduce the overall number of returns in games. Moving the touchback spot from the 30 to the 35-yard line could deter teams from automatically booting the ball out of the end zone. Broncos coach Sean Payton has advocated for such a change, stating that a touchback at the 35-yard line makes more sense than the current spot at the 30-yard line.
As the NFL continues to evaluate the impact of the new kickoff rule throughout the preseason, potential adjustments remain on the table for consideration before the regular season begins.