The NFL's New Kickoff Rules

The latest newsletter from KCSN Sports Data Scientist, Joseph Hefner

Last year, the NFL made a somewhat minor change to kickoffs. They allowed a kick returner to fair catch a kickoff inside the 25-yard line, and it would be considered a touchback. I wrote an article last year about what effect that might have on teams. A member of the KCSN discord (if you’re not in there, you’re missing out on a lot!) requested that I do a review after the season to see how the NFL approached kickoffs.

I fully planned on doing that analysis. Until, that is, the NFL decided to instead make absolutely sweeping changes to the kickoff rules for this upcoming 2024 season. So now, instead of basking in the glory of how awesome I am, and how perfect my predictions were (I’m just going to go with that), I’m instead going to review the new rules, and give all you fine people a clear idea of what to expect in 2024.

The new kickoff rules were first designed by Sam Schwartsteins and Eric Galko for the XFL. When the NFL adopted these rules, Galko put out a twitter thread explaining the rules and some interesting outcomes from those rules in the XFL. I’m borrowing the graphic he uses in that thread for explanatory purposes.