New kickoff rule has improvements for 2025, but there’s still one change NFL needs to address

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NEW YORK — The NFL had one of its most radical changes in years last season, changing the kickoff in the way football has never seen it before. The dynamic kickoff was created to resemble a scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed, essentially creating less high-speed collisions and promoting more returns in the game. 

The first year of the dynamic kickoff was an experiment, hoping to provide a higher percentage of returns across the league. The league got what it intended, as return rate improved from 21.8% in 2023 (under the old kickoff format) to 33%. The average starting field position went from 25.6 to 30.1 while the average length of return improved from 23.0 to 27.5.

While the league did see more returns, it wasn’t the dramatic change the league had hoped. Changes needed to be made in 2025 to enhance the dynamic kickoff, which was what the NFL planned after an experimental first season. 

The significant change was the placement of the ball for a touchback, as the starting field position is now the 35-yard line for a touchback. In 2024, the ball would be placed at the 30-yard line.

The league initially considered the 35-yard line for the first year of the dynamic kickoff, but settled for the 30. The league believes it will see a 65%-75% return rate with the touchback being moved from the 30 to the 35, a huge increase from last year if the data is proven correct.

“I think the 35-yard line is pretty severe,” said The NFL Today studio analyst Bill Cowher. “You get two first downs, then you’re kicking a field goal. I think 35 was the answer a year ago. We still saw the kickoffs go up, but do believe with the 35 now — the kickoffs are coming back (even more). 

“I think it’s definitely coming back and you’re moving more and more guys back to that next level. You’ll see more of the blocking and returns get more creative than what they’re doing.”

The NFL made the significant change to the touchback in order to improve the dynamic kickoff, but there is a huge skeleton in the closet that needs to be brought out regarding the new format. 

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The change that wasn’t fully made 

While the NFL decided to continue the expansion of the kickoff return, one important aspect of the kickoff as quietly gone by the wayside. The onside kick is essentially an afterthought in today’s game, as the league reduced the once strategic play to only being called when a team is trailing in the fourth quarter. 

Essentially, an onside kick has to be announced to the receiving team — and that is only when the kicking team is trailing. There is no point in calling for an onside kick under the new kickoff rule. 

The league modified the onside kick this year. Teams can declare an onside kick throughout the entire game instead of the fourth quarter, but only when the kicking team is trailing. The kick was also moved back a yard as the ball will be placed at the 34-yard line, while the kicking team will line up at the 35. 

The rule change is intended to make onside kicks easier to recover, as the kicking team has historically had a low success rate. Last year, onside kicks were recovered 6.45% of the time under the dynamic kickoff. 

Since the NFL banned running starts on kickoffs in 2018, the onside recovery rate was 16.4%. The recovery rate has fallen to under 9%. 

The onside kick has nearly been eliminated from the game, and it will be difficult to get it back.

“It’s gonna be hard. It’s gonna be very hard,” said NFL on CBS color analyst Charles Davis. “I just want the element of that back in, but I’m not sure how we can do it with this type of kickoff.”

The biggest issue with the onside kick at the moment is announcing the kick is coming to the receiving team. That takes away the element of surprise, like what Andy Reid executed to open the 2000 season and Sean Payton did to start the second half in Super Bowl XLIV. Both plays led to victories for their teams. 

“I feel like there should be some type of adjustment,” said The NFL Today analyst Nate Burleson. “Say you make the call and onside kick it, and you don’t, you could get penalized. I don’t like that at all. Where’s the mystery in that? 

“Why can’t you squib it, or squib it deep? Why does it have to be so black and white, so set in stone on the onsides kick.”

What can be done to fix the onside kick? 

If the NFL intends to eliminate the onside kick, what alternative could be made for a team that’s trailing? The Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles have proposed alternative solutions over the last couple of years that have been voted down. 

The Broncos proposed a fourth-and-15 from the kicking team’s own 25-yard line. After a score, an alternative offensive play from the kicking team’s 25-yard line would be in effect (if the team chooses). A conversion would allow the team to keep the ball while a failed conversion would have the defensive team get the ball at the spot where the play ended. 

The Eagles modified the proposal and proposed a fourth-and-20 from the kicking team’s own 20-yard line. That proposal was voted down as well. 

“I think some matter of a fourth down, a fourth and something after you score — because you got away with a surprise onsides kick,” Cowher said regarding a potential change. “There’s really no way to get back into a game right? So some nature of a play, once you’re down you have an option of kinda going for it and rolling the dice. Whether that’s a fourth-and-15, a fourth-and-20, whatever that play that may be. And somehow saying if you convert that, you get the ball back again. 

“You need something to be able to get a team to come back from a deficit. In the past, the surprise onsides kick was a part of it. Now it’s been taken away and a surprise onsides kick isn’t really a surprise anymore. It’s just an onsides kick.”

With the special teams background, Cowher doesn’t see a return for the onside kick. Having an offensive play and creating a new wrinkle to the game would bring back the element of surprise, even if the team can announce the play is coming. 

A happy medium for a lost play. 

“I believe some kind of fourth-down play, when you’re behind after you score. The ability to get the ball back would be very, very exciting,” Cowher said. “Now how you have to be able to build in a penalty onto that, because some way a team will try to throw it downfield to get a defensive pass interference. Somehow you’ll have to allow that play or penalty like that not to become a factor. 

“Whether it becomes a 10-yard penalty, instead of the point of the foul penalty. I don’t know, some nature so there’s probably some logistics you have to work through. But I think some degree and ability to get the ball back when you’re done would be the next step.”

Perhaps the next step is to eliminate the onside kick all together, but it’s here to stay in 2025. The dynamic kickoff has improved, but the changes are not yet complete. 

This news was originally published on this post .

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