The one -year test version of the dynamic start in the NFL led to an increase in the return rate that was not as much as the league had expected.
Now, the new form of the beginning that looks more like a scrimmage game is permanent with a change for 2025 that the League hopes will lead to a significant increase in returns.
The owners voted on Tuesday To move the touchbacks in kicks from 30 to 35 with the hope that more teams will kick the ball instead of giving up 5 additional field positions.
The League also approved changes in the extra time rule, extended repetition assistance and made some other technical changes in the league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida.
Here is an explanation of some of the new rules that will be in force.
The League was mostly satisfied with the experimental start established by 2024 that led to the rate of kicking to increase from a record of 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% last season, while reducing the rate of injuries in what had been the most dangerous game of the game.
The rule began more as scrimmage plays by placing the coverage players and blockers together to eliminate high -speed collisions that had contributed to so many injuries in the game. The League said that the brain shock rate fell 43% in returns with a significant reduction also in injuries at the bottom of the body.
The problem last season was that many teams still chose to kick the ball in the scoring area because the touchback was not punitive enough with the average position of the starting field in a touchback only 2.4 beyond the average initial position after the returns that was the line of 27.6 yards.
When moving the touchback to 35, the League projects that the return rate will increase between 60% and 70% with a similar increase in long returns, adding more emotion to the game.
The League also approved a small adjustment to how blockers in the return team can be aligned in the configuration zone that could lead to longer returns.
The League approved a proposal to make the overtime of the regular season more as the postseason with both teams having the opportunity for possession, even if the team that the ball received for the first time scored a touchdown for the first time.
The NFL added extra hours of the regular season in 1974, adding a 15 -minute sudden death period that ended at any score. In 2010, the rule was modified to a sudden “modified” death that required a opening possession touchdown to immediately finish the game instead of just a field goal both in the regular season and in the playoffs.
The extra time was shortened for the regular season to only 10 minutes in 2017. A change of rules in 2022 for the playoffs only gave both teams the opportunity to score even with a touchdown in the opening possession.
Now that will be the case in the playoffs, after the improved field position in the output kicks facilitated the gain in OT in a TD opening possession.
According to Sportradar, six of the 16 extra time games last season ended in an opening TD for most extra time games ended in the first unit since the change of rules entered into force in 2010.
In total, the teams that won the release of extra time won 75% of the time last season, according to Sportradar, and have a winning percentage of .606 in extra time since it was reduced to 10 minutes.
The League maintained the extra period of 10 minutes instead of expanding it to 15 minutes as it was originally proposed by Philadelphia, which could lead to the teams that choose to obtain 2 and a victory if they coincide with an opening TD with one of theirs, since there could be no time for another possession.
The NFL expanded its repetition assistance system to cancel objective calls, such as Facebask penalties, whether there was a forced contact in the head or neck area, horsepower tacle, stumbles if there was “clear and obvious” evidence that a foul did not occur. The repetition could also cancel a penalty of disagreement or that opens in the game if the video showed the defender contact with the ball.
The League has been using repetition assistance in recent years to cancel the obvious mistakes in aspects as if a pass is caught or where the ball should be seen without the referee need to stop the game for a review.
The Competition Committee says there is no interest in allowing repetition assists to call sanctions in the plays lost by officials in the field.
Some procedure rules were changed. The teams can now hold zoom or telephone meetings with possible free agents during the so -called legal manipulation period.
The teams can place two players in the injured reserve with the designation to return when the lists are reduced to 53 players instead of after. Playoffs teams will also be awarded two additional returns of IR designations.
A Green Bay proposal to prohibit the thrust of Tush that Philadelphia has used so successful was presented to May meetings. A vote on a proposal to adjust the kick rule on the side was also delayed until May, along with a Detroit proposal to change the planting of playoffs to place the wild card equipment before a division winner with a worse record.
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