The NFL has radically altered kickoff returns for the upcoming season
The most noticeable rule change coming opening day will likely be the change to the kickoff procedures. Specifically, the rule has been altered as detailed below:
Entering the 2024 season, the NFL will introduce new kickoff rules. Here’s how they’ll work. pic.twitter.com/75BLKUW6Gk
— Jon Bois (@jon_bois) March 26, 2024
Another way to think about that is like this:
BREAKING: The #NFL has approved the new hybrid kickoff rule that will be in place just for this year, but potentially longer.
New Rules:
• The kicking team, other than the kicker, cannot move until the ball hits the ground or player in the landing zone or the end zone.
• All… pic.twitter.com/ymrH4RBG3Z
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) March 26, 2024
If that still isn’t clicking, then maybe a video of how this has been used will help.
Here’s what the new NFL kickoff will look like this season: pic.twitter.com/vtR5bqGZLK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2024
Basically, players will have to wait for the ball to hit the ground and then the kick defense and kick return teams will be able to move. This is thought to reduce high speed collisions and improve players safety. Needless to say, that’s a pretty large change in how kickoffs will look.
Beyond that though, this has major implications for how kick returners will be evaluated and how their skills will be valued, which has relevance for the New York Jets and every other team in the league. As written by Eric Galko who worked from the XFL when they had this rule, this really turns the play into something more akin to a spaced out run play than it does a traditional kickoff.
1. Overall Play Designs: The kickoff play isn’t going to be run like a previous kickoff. They’ll be less value on collisions, quickness and explosiveness.
Instead, it’ll likely be more closely analogous to a spaced out run play. You might even see Special Teams coaches develop… pic.twitter.com/fNw4WSRZcC
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 26, 2024
This also means that players with strong vision who typically excel on run plays are going to be very valuable on kick returns under this format, as further explained by Galko.
2. Returner Evaluations: Similar to above, returner value will be less about top end speed and burst, and more about vision and reacting.
In short, more “running back attacking the hole”-type will be more valuable than vs. “receivers navigating in the open field” types.
We at… pic.twitter.com/INEDp8Qocq
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 26, 2024
These players are often running backs, which could give some extra value to a position that has long been losing its value. For the New York Jets, this could be a very beneficial rule change based on their current roster.
Specifically, this sounds like the exact type of play that a player like Breece Hall could thrive within. Last season, he showed nothing if not an ability to rip off chunk plays at a relatively regular rate. This gives him yet another way to demonstrate and leverage that ability for the Jets gain.
While I’m not sure if they’ll use him in that role given his importance to the team, I’d at least like to see the team consider it, as I think Hall’s best talent is his big play ability, which seems more likely on a play like this than a given run play. But what do you think? Should the Jets consider Hall in this role?