The drastic modifications to the NFL’s kickoff caught the eye of former President Donald Trump on Friday, as he blasted the change in a publish on Fact Social.
“I can’t consider the NFL is successfully eliminating the at all times thrilling Kick Off Return. Such an thrilling a part of soccer. What are they doing? BEGINNING OF THE END!” Trump wrote.
The NFL’s new kickoff rule has dramatically modified the operate and aesthetic from what old school followers are used to, inflicting some confusion early within the season.
The brand new guidelines have modified the alignment of each groups, whereas additionally incorporating varied zones that play a key function in what gamers are allowed to do.
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Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders gamers line up for the kickoff within the second half of the preseason recreation at U.S. Financial institution Stadium on August 10, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The NFL is debuting a brand new rule on kickoffs this season. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Photographs)
Now, all kicking staff gamers should line up with a foot on the receiving staff’s 40-yard line, in comparison with after they needed to line up all the best way again at their very own 35-yard line. The kicking staff’s gamers should additionally wait till the ball hits the bottom or the participant is within the “touchdown zone” or finish zone to start out working. The “touchdown zone” is from the receiving staff’s 20-yard line to the aim line.
In the meantime, the receiving staff has a chosen “setup zone” which is a five-yard space from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line, the place at the least 9 gamers should line up going through the kicking staff.
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The Philadelphia Eagles and the Inexperienced Bay Packers line up for the opening kickoff at Area Corinthians on September 06, 2024, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Wagner Meier/Getty Photographs)
There, at the least seven of these 9 gamers will need to have a foot on the 35-yard line. These not on the 35-yard line will should be within the setup zone exterior the hash marks. Moreover, just like the kicking staff, the receiving staff gamers can not transfer till the kick has hit the bottom or a participant within the touchdown zone or the top zone.
The aim of the modifications was to cut back the danger of accidents, because the kickoff has historically been essentially the most harmful play in soccer whereas additionally encouraging extra returns. The earlier rule concerned gamers working at each other at excessive speeds from lengthy distances, leading to frequent high-speed collisions.
Kickoff guidelines have been adjusted a number of occasions earlier than in response to the excessive danger of damage from play.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attends a Tremendous Bowl Host Committee handoff information convention on the Mandalay Bay Conference Heart on February 12, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Photographs)
In 2011, the league moved kickoffs ahead 5 yards to the 35-yard line, making it simpler to kick the ball deep into the top zone and resulting in extra touchbacks with groups beginning on the 20-yard line. In 2016, touchbacks positioned groups at 25, which additional inspired them. Then final season, returners might name for a good catch anyplace, not simply ultimately zone, for a touchback, ensuing within the lowest return fee in NFL historical past.
So, now the league is utilizing this new rule to make sure security whereas selling returns.
This new rule is impressed by the kickoff guidelines from the XFL – a now-defunct lower-budget competitor to the NFL. Nevertheless, the XFL merged with the USFL to create the UFL this yr, and that league sarcastically makes use of the standard kickoff.
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