Mike Pereira on the new NFL kickoff rule change

Aug 15, 2024, 8:01 AM

(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

Kickoffs will have a different look during the 2024 NFL season.

To get a better read on what the rule change means for teams going forward, The Drive Guys had a chance to catch up with Mike Pereira, former NFL official and current analyst for FOX Sports, to dive into the changes that will be made to kickoffs and much more.

Be sure to check out the full interview with Mike Pereira on the Sactown Sports 1140 YouTube page.

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More on the new NFL kickoff rule change

All rules and information are courtesy of NFL.com

To address the lowest kickoff return rate in NFL history during the 2023 season and an unacceptable injury rate on kickoffs prior to that, NFL clubs have approved a new kickoff rule for the 2024 season.

To create a new form of a free kick play that is designed to:

Resemble a typical scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed.
Promote more returns.

NFL clubs have approved a new kickoff rule for the 2024 season.

The ball is kicked from the A35 yard line (same as current rule)
Safety kicks would be from A20 yard line (same as current rule)

Alignment

All kicking team players other than the kicker will line up with one foot on the receiving team’s B40 yard line
Kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line until ball touches the ground or player in landing zone or end zone
The 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or player in the landing zone or the end zone
The receiving team will line up as follows:
Setup Zone – a 5-yard area from the B35 to the B30 yard line where at least 9 receiving team players must line up
Players not on the restraining line must be lined up in setup zone outside the hash marks
All players in the setup zone cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone
At least 7 players with foot on the B35 yard line (restraining line) with alignment requirements (outside numbers, numbers to hashes, and inside hashes)
A maximum of 2 returners may line up in the landing zone and can move at any time prior to, or during, the kick

Landing Zone

Landing zone is the area between the receiving team’s goal line and its 20-yard line.
Any kick that hits short of the landing zone – treated like kickoff out of bounds and ball spotted at B40 yard line; play would be blown dead as soon as kick lands short of the landing zone
Any kick that hits in the landing zone – must be returned
Any kick that hits in the landing zone and then goes into the end zone – must be returned or downed by receiving team – if downed then touchback to B20 yard line
Kick hits in end zone, stays inbounds – returned or downed – if downed then touchback to B30 yard line
Any kick that goes out of the back of the end zone (in the air or bounces) – touchback to B30 yard line

Miscellaneous

If conditions cause ball to fall off tee twice, then kicker will be allowed to use kicking stick to keep the ball in place. The closest covering official will pick up the stick immediately after the kick
Onside kick:
4th quarter begins, the team trailing has the opportunity to declare an onside kick to the officials
Current onside kickoff rules would apply. If onside kick goes beyond the setup zone untouched, kicking team penalized for UNS; return team would start the drive at the A20 yard line
Penalties: The setup zone and landing zone will not change with any penalties that carry over to kickoffs. Alignment of 10 kickoff team players and all receiving team players would not change – only the spot of the kick would move
Penalties on scoring plays will not carry over and will be taken on the Try
Penalties on the Try may carry over, and if they do, only the placement of the kicker will change
Safety Kick: The kick will be from the 20-yard line, and the kicker will have the option to use a tee; the setup zone and the landing zone will not change