The NFL, the largest and most important sports league in the United States, has learned something new from baseball. The changes to the rules of the diamond sport left a historic season with shorter, but action-packed games. It was just what the fans wanted. With this in mind, American football returns today along with new rules that aim to achieve games with more points and fewer injuries caused by high-speed collisions. These have been designed, and accepted by the owners of the 32 teams, after the 2023 season registered the worst number of kick returns in the history of the league, with 21%. In 2010, eight out of ten kicks were returned.
The owners have agreed to a one-year trial of what the league calls the kickoff dynamic, the kick that puts the action into play during the game. The ball will be placed, as before, at the 35-yard line and the safety They will expect to receive the ball at their own 20-yard line. What changes are the formations, both for the receiving team and the kicking team. Players from both teams will face each other in what appears to be a line of scrimmage normal. The defending team will have its players at the receiving 40-yard line. For the spectator, this will be a noticeable change. The NFL has made this change to reduce the space and speed of the defenders attacking the player returning the kick.
The kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line until the ball touches the ground or is caught by the opponent. The ten defensive players cannot run until this happens. Teams on offense can have up to nine players between the 30 and 35-yard lines who will clear the way for the runner, but they cannot move until the receiver catches the ball. Seven of these players must be at least touching the 35-yard line when the play begins. The new rules allow a maximum of two receivers within the final 20 yards. Kicks that land in the end zone may be returned, as before, or they may opt for the return of the ball. touchbackwhich places the offense at its own 30-yard line. Side kicks are limited and may only appear in the last quarter of the game and after the team that will take it, normally behind on the scoreboard, notifies the referees.
The NFL has also banned players from making a tackle known as hip-dropThis happens when a defender hugs a player with the ball at waist height and rotates his hips to fall on the runner’s legs once he knocks him down. This maneuver was used last season 230 times and caused 15 ankle injuries that caused players to miss one or more games. The defender who commits it will earn a 15-yard penalty for the team on offense.
These rules will be officially put to the test tonight in the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the reigning champions, Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs, who are seeking their fourth title. Teams have already been practicing with them in the preseason. League officials have reported that they are yielding the desired results. A 70% kick return rate has been recorded, well above the 54% documented in the 2023 exhibition games.
The league says that in addition to long returns, one of the most exciting plays in the sport, the kickoff Dynamic play can improve field position for teams that start their offense. This can lead to more points, which is always welcomed by fans. The 2023 season saw the lowest scores in the league since 2017. With these new rules, the road to the Super Bowl begins, which will be played in New Orleans on February 9, 2025.
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