NFL Owners Approve Change to Fair Catch Rule on Kickoffs

The NCAA has had similar language in place since 2018.

A massive change is reportedly coming to special teams in the NFL for 2023.

The league approved a rule change that enables kickoff returners to fair-catch kickoffs in order to place the ball on the returning team’s 25-yard line, according to a Tuesday morning report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the rule change passed in spite of “aggressive pushback from special teams coaches and players.”

A league memo cited “player safety” as the reason for the change, which will be in effect for 2023 only. On Monday, NFL owners approved flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football over longstanding objections from players and commentators—many of which also concerned player safety.

Here’s the full proposal owners approved today. pic.twitter.com/GcmLgGljw2

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 23, 2023

Kickoff rule approved. So Roger Goodell was able to get the votes needed despite aggressive pushback from special teams coaches and players. pic.twitter.com/fbCDGwsgB0

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 23, 2023

Currently, language in the NFL rulebook calls for the ball to be snapped into play from wherever a fair catch is made in the event of a fair catch on a kickoff. The added language specifies that this will remain the case "unless a player on the receiving team makes a fair catch of a free kick behind the receiving team's 25-yard line, in which case the ball will be put in play at the receiving team's 25-yard line."

The NCAA has had a virtually identical rule in place since 2018.