New rules explained ahead of 2024 season

This year, the NFL is taking inspiration from the United Football League (UFL).

Ahead of the 2024 season, the NFL has decided to completely overhaul its kickoff rules and move to a format more similar to the spring football league’s format. This season (and likely beyond), the one special teams play that will definitely be played at least twice per game will look very different than it used to.

Fans who have watched any preseason NFL action have probably noticed how different kickoffs are: The kicker stands alone on his 35-yard line. The rest of the coverage team and most of the return team line up five yards apart. There is something called a “landing zone.”

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The NFL says the new rules are partly to “address the lowest kickoff return rate in NFL history heading into the 2023 season” and partly to reduce the number of concussions that were common on kickoff returns prior to last season.

Here’s what the new kickoff rules look like and what they mean:

NFL’s New Kickoff Rules Explained

Many aspects of the kickoff are changing under the new rules imposed for the 2024 season, but there are still a few things that will remain the same as in years past. Here’s how the rules are laid out, according to NFL Football Operations:

What doesn’t change:

At the start of play the ball will be kicked from the 35-yard line towards the long edge of the pitch.
For safety kicks, the ball should be kicked from the 20-yard line towards the long edge of the field.

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What’s new this year:

Vocabulary worth knowing:

Landing zone: the area between the receiving team’s end zone and the 20-yard line.
Settings zone: the area between the receiving team’s 30- and 35-yard lines.
Boundary line: receiving team’s 35-yard line

Before the kick

The kicker stands alone on the kicking team’s 35-yard line.
- May not cross the 50-yard line until the ball touches the ground or a player (the returner) in the landing zone or end zone.
Each player on the kicking team, except the kicker, lines up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line.
- These 10 players cannot move until the ball touches the ground or a player (returning) in the landing zone or end zone
At least seven players from the receiving team must line up on the boundary line (their own 35-yard line)
- Players not on the boundary line must still be within the lineup zone and position themselves outside the hash marks.
- Players in the preparation area may not move until the ball touches the ground or a player (returner) in the landing zone or end zone

Kick results:

Kick lands in landing zone: must be deflected
Kick Outside Landing Zone: Treated as a Delay of Game penalty if play starts – Ball spotted on receiving team’s 40-yard line
Kick lands in landing zone, bounces into end zone: must be returned or tackled. If tackled, ball is observed on receiving team’s 20-yard line
Kick goes into end zone, stays in field: may be returned or tackled. If tackled, ball is observed on receiving team’s 30-yard line
Kick into the end zone, ball goes out of the end zone: ball is spotted on the receiving team’s 30-yard line

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Onside kicks

This can only happen in the fourth quarter
The losing team must report an onside kick attempt to the referees.
If the ball crosses the line and is not touched, the kicking team will be assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the receiving team will receive the ball on the kicking team’s 20-yard line.
Something else: the onside kicking rules from previous years apply

Other things:

If the ball falls off the tee twice due to adverse weather conditions, the kicker may use a club.
Only the kicking location changes for kickoff penalties. The lineup and landing zones remain the same.
Points penalties will be assessed once a point is scored.
Attempt penalties will be assessed the next time the game is started.
Safety kicks can be taken from the tee, but the stance and landing zones remain the same as kickoffs.