Kevin Seifert
A modest change to the NFL's kickoff guidelines made an enormous influence on Week 1, producing the very best single-week return charge in 15 years.
Within the league's first slate of regular-season video games for the reason that touchback was moved to the 35-yard line, groups returned 118 of 156 kickoffs for a 75.6% return charge. The final time the NFL had the next return charge for a single week was Week 17 of the 2010 season.
Final weekend's video games have been notably uncommon in comparison with different latest opening weeks. The final time the NFL had a return charge greater than 50% in Week 1 additionally was 2010 (78.1%).
The NFL overhauled its kickoff previous to the 2024 season after greater than a decade of declining return charges, precipitated largely by rule modifications that incentivized groups to pursue touchbacks and decrease the variety of concussions and different accidents. In 2023, solely 21.8% of kickoffs have been returned — the fewest since at the very least 2000 and sure within the trendy historical past of the sport. Not a single kickoff was returned in Tremendous Bowl LVIII on the finish of that season.
After analyzing a brand new alignment that first appeared within the XFL throughout its 2020 season, the NFL's particular groups coaches beneficial a brand new strategy for 2024.
As a substitute of lowering the variety of returns, they steered an alignment that minimized the variety of high-speed collisions. The kickoff now begins with most gamers already standing downfield, slightly than working at full pace to get there. They will start to cowl the kick as quickly because the ball touches the bottom or a member of the return staff.
The unique 2024 proposal referred to as for touchbacks to be noticed on the 35-yard line, which league rule-makers believed could be a strong incentive for coaches to kick a returnable ball. Nevertheless it was modified to the 30-yard line as a compromise with a purpose to generate sufficient help from homeowners to approve the rule.
The complete-season return charge in 2024 improved to 32.8% however fell effectively in need of the league's objective. The common drive after a kickoff return began on the 28.8-yard line, and so most coaches most well-liked the understanding of a touchback in change for an extra 1.2 yards.
This spring, nevertheless, homeowners authorized a revival of the 35-yard touchback proposal in March. Coaches acknowledged they might be much less more likely to change that certainty for an extra 5 yards of area place, and in Week 1 they adopted by.
