NFL Votes to Change Kickoff Rules

The NFL owners have basically decided to remove the kickoff return from the game.

Today, the motion passed 26-6 which will move kickoffs from the 30 yard line to the 35, but touchbacks will still be spotted at the 20 yard line instead of the proposed 25. Also, coverage teams are now only allowed a 5 yard running start before the kicker makes contact with the football. However, the two-man wedge was not eliminated as proposed before.

Pretty much every team will now be able to kick the ball out of bounds or deep in the endzone every kickoff and eliminate any sort of return. And with the touchback remaining the same there's nothing to make teams weary of kicking the ball out of the back of the endzone every time. Returners like Devin Hester probably won't get another chance to score off a kickoff return. Good thing he broke the record for most returns for a touchdown last year because he is now limited to only returning punts, in which teams try not to kick to him anyway. One of the most exciting plays in football has now been made extinct in the NFL.

These changes were made in an effort to address the amount of injuries that occurr on kickoffs and they certainly did a good job. Now with these rules there should be zero since there won't be any returns. You might as well just flip the coin to see who gets the ball first and then just start at the 20 yard line. That's essentially what the new changes are doing.

The other major proposals that passed today was if the booth official should be allowed to review all scoring plays, as well as keeping a 3rd challenge for NFL coaches if they get their first 2 correct. A big surprise that occurred was that the subject of hits on defenseless players was tabled. There was talk of expanded explanation towards the topic to help define to players and fans what was considered worth fining or suspending.

One question I have is why are the owners voting on this when there could be no football next year? They should be working on a proposal they think the players will accept or compromise on since they shouldn't be too confident in the courts ruling in their favor.