Explanation of the NFL's new kickoff rules for the 2024 season

This year, the NFL is modeled on the United Football League (UFL).

Ahead of the 2024 season, the NFL has decided to completely overhaul its kickoff rules and switch to a format more similar to that of the Spring Football League. This season (and likely beyond), the one special teams play that is guaranteed to happen at least twice per game will look very different than it has in the past.

Fans who have ever watched a preseason NFL game have probably noticed how different the kickoffs look: The kicker stands alone at his own 35-yard line. The rest of the coverage team and most of the return team stand five yards apart. There is something called the “landing zone.”

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According to the NFL, these new rules are intended in part to “counteract the lowest kickoff return rate in NFL history during the 2023 season” and in part to help curb the injuries that were rampant on kickoff returns prior to last season.

This is what the new kick-off rules look like and this is what they mean:

An overview of the NFL's new kickoff rules

Many aspects of the kickoff are changing in the new rules for the 2024 season, but there are still some things that remain the same compared to previous years. Here are the rules, according to NFL Football Operations:

What doesn’t change:

• During kickoffs, the ball is kicked from the 35-yard line toward the longer side of the field.

• In safety kicks, the ball is kicked from the 20-yard line toward the longer side of the field.

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What’s new this year:

Interesting facts about the topic:

• The landing zone: the area between the end zone and the receiving team's 20-yard line.

• Setup Zone: the area between the receiving team's 30- and 35-yard lines.

• Boundary line: the receiving team’s 35-yard line

Before the kick

• The kicker stands alone on the kicking team’s 35-yard line.

• All players of the kicking team except the kicker line up at the receiving team's 40-yard line.

• At least seven players from the receiving team must line up at the perimeter line (their own 35-yard line).

  • Players not on the boundary line must still be within the setup zone and aligned outside the hash marks.

  • Players in the setup zone cannot move until the ball touches the ground or a player (returner) in the landing zone or end zone.

Kick results:

• Kick lands in the landing zone: must be returned

• Kick lands in front of the landing zone: Treated as a delay of game penalty on kickoffs – ball lands on the receiving team’s 40-yard line

• Kick lands in landing zone, bounces in end zone: must be returned or brought down. If brought down, the ball is placed at the receiving team's 20-yard line.

• Kick hits the end zone, stays in play: can be returned or brought down. If brought down, the ball is placed on the receiving team's 30-yard line.

• The kick lands in the end zone and goes out backwards: The ball is spotted at the receiving team's 30-yard line

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Onside kicks

• Can only happen in the fourth quarter

• The team behind must report the onside kick attempt to the referees

• If the kick passes the setup zone untouched, the kicking team is assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the receiving team is awarded the ball at the kicking team's 20-yard line.

• Other: The onside kick rules of previous years apply

Miscellaneous:

• If the ball falls off the tee twice due to adverse weather conditions, the kicker may use a kicking stick.

• For penalty kicks awarded during kick-offs, only the location of the kick changes. The build-up zone and landing zone remain the same.

• Penalties for plays that result in points being scored are assessed after the attempt.

• Penalties for the attempt will be imposed on the subsequent kickoff.

• Safety kicks can be taken from a tee, but the setup and landing zones are still the same as for kickoffs.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL kickoff rules: New rules explained ahead of 2024 season