The NFL has continued to explore ways to potentially improve the kickoff play, and another significant change could be implemented for the 2025 season.
Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the NFL competition committee is likely to propose moving a touchback on kickoffs to the 35-yard line rather than the 30. The goal would be to further discourage the kicking team from kicking the ball through the end zone to avoid a return.
When the NFL’s kickoff play was completely revamped ahead of last season, a touchback through the end zone was supposed to give the receiving team possession at the 35. That was changed to the 30 due to a lack of votes. In order for the rule to be changed to the 35, at least 24 owners would have to approve it.
Maske says moving the spot of the kickoff itself has also been discussed, though the belief is that would have less support than changing a touchback to the 35-yard line.
Under the new kickoff rules, which were modeled after the XFL’s format, any ball that lands inside the “landing zone,” which is defined as the area between the receiving team’s 20-yard line and the goal line, must be returned. If the ball is kicked short of the landing zone or out of bounds, the receiving team is awarded possession at their own 40-yard line.
A ball that lands in the landing zone and rolls into the end zone for a touchback is placed at the 20-yard line. Any ball that lands in the end zone in the air, goes out of the back of the end zone, or is fair caught in the end zone results in a touchback at the 30-yard line.
As Pro Football Talk notes, the NFL’s kick return rate increased to 32.8% in 2024 with the new rules from 21.8% the year before.
The NFL’s new kickoff format was approved last season on a one-year basis, so it must be re-ratified at the owners meetings next week. Moving the touchback to the 35-yard line could become part of that process, according to Maske.
There have been numerous potential tweaks to kickoffs discussed over the past few years. For now, moving a touchback to the 35 in order to encourage more returns seems to have the most momentum.
