NFL teams authorized a big adjustment for the 2024 season that will alter kickoff in an effort to reduce injuries and improve excitement.
However, the Las Vegas Raiders were apparently not on board. According to Sports Illustrated, the Raiders were among three teams that voted against the plan. According to the article, the other teams that voted against the plan were the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers.
The rule adjustment is only for the 2024 season. It will be re-evaluated after next season and may be modified. The new kickoff scheme was inspired by the XFL Spring League.
The plan is to relocate the majority of the kicking and returning teams down the field to avoid high-speed collisions and reduce concussions. Only the kicker and returners are allowed to move until the ball lands inside the 20-yard line.
Plays after touchbacks will begin at the returning team’s 30-yard line.
Among the other changes, teams must now notify referees if they want to attempt an on-side kick. So, no more surprise kicks are permitted.
Previous comments appear to have simply mentioned safety as a rationale for the prohibition on hip-drop tackles. While it is the sole reason stated in public, there is another: scoring. Scoring was down this season, and it’s been a long-term trend. The owners, as a group, know little about football, but they are aware that casual viewers like more touchdowns. Making it harder to tackle should result in higher scores. This new regulation is similar to others that prohibit head slaps, forcing receivers downfield, roughing the passer, and so on. Players are speedier than they used to be, and this “athleticism” benefits defenders rather than offensive.
If the owners truly prioritized safety, they would demand natural grass fields everywhere. This new regulation will
