With the new changes to the NFL kickoff, many fans are still concerned about adjusting the play’s intricacies and effect on the game.

Next season, kick returns will look very different. For many, the big question is, “Why?” The answer is simple – Injuries. With the nature of the sport, injuries are prevalent. The league is constantly trying to find ways to limit injuries while still having a strong profit margin. With last year’s failed experiment of a rule change, the owners are back to the drawing board for the upcoming season.

While the NFL wants to limit injuries, they don’t want to eliminate one of the most exciting and fun plays from the game – the kickoff. For 2024, they will experiment with an idea inspired by a spring football league, the UFL. Players will be lined up much closer (at the 40-yard line) to the returner without room to begin running. This will reduce head-on collisions where many players are running full speed towards each other. The landing zone will be between the 0 and 20-yard line, putting much more pressure on kickers to be accurate rather than just strength.

Now that you know more about the change, it won’t be as confusing when the players are lined up differently. While it makes sense on paper, there is only one way to determine if it will translate to the gridiron.