NFL to Consider Changes to Kickoff Rules
NFL owners will be voting on a handful of proposed rule changes at the annual spring league meeting next week. Most notably, the kickoff could change drastically if proposals are approved.
Nine NFL special-teams coaches determined these potential changes through a series of phone calls over the last month, and then received approval from the league offices in New York. The owners will then vote whether or not to accept the suggested changes.
Some of the biggest potential changes:
• Players cannot move past the restraining line until the ball hits the ground—now it's when the ball is kicked.
• Players must set up within one yard of the line of scrimmage—before it was five yards, and they could get a running start.
• Players must have at least five players on both sides of the ball, which will change the look of onside kicks—previously teams needed at least four players on each side of the ball.
Here's a look at the proposals.
The owners' meeting takes place next Tuesday and Wednesday in Atlanta.
