NFL team owners have approved a significant overhaul of kickoff rules, taking a page from the XFL’s book in an effort to revive the kickoff play. The new rule, set to be tested in the 2024 season, will see the ball kicked from the 35-yard line with 10 special teams members lined up at the opposing 40-yard line, with five players on each side of the field.

The return team will have at least nine blocks lined up in the ‘set up zone’ between the 30- and 35-yard line, with at least seven players touching the 35-yard line. Two returners will be allowed inside their own 20-yard line. Only the kicker and two returners will be permitted to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20-yard line.

If a kick reaches the end zone in the air, the returning team can choose to return it or opt for a touchback, in which case the team will receive the ball at the 30-yard line. A ball going out of the end zone will also result in a touchback at the 30. If the ball hits a returner or the ground before the end zone and then goes into the end zone, a touchback will be at the 20-yard line or the kick could be returned.

NFL Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay expressed some apprehension about the rule change, citing ‘a little fear of the unknown’ and noting that the optics are the most drastic they’ve seen. However, McKay also emphasized that the committee has reviewed the tape and is confident in the potential of the new rule.

This kickoff style had previously been utilized in the rebooted version of the XFL. The rule required 24 votes from the 32 owners to pass, and it ultimately received 29 votes. New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who played a role in creating the rule, expressed his satisfaction with the decision, stating, ‘We feel this is a great day for the NFL.’