Earlier this week, all teams in the National Football League (NFL) were obligated to cut down their respective rosters to 53 athletes, this signalled that they were just about ready to commence the 2024/25 season, which begins next Thursday, September 5, 2024.

The opening game will pit the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs against the Baltimore Ravens and will feature two of the leading, new-age quarterbacks in the league, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, respectively, at Arrowhead Stadium. Expectedly, the Chiefs are the JustBet favourites entering the contest but one could not ask for a better matchup to start the year.

However, as we approach the awaited kick-off of the season, a seismic change of rules that relate to kick-offs will be in effect, after owners voted this spring to overhaul the play. These rule changes are expected to significantly impact the game, offensively, since most kick-offs last season resulted in no returns, and in the same breath, still prioritise player safety.

The changes, which were heavily influenced by the Xtreme Football League (XFL), were made in hopes of limiting the dangerous high-speed collisions, while at the same time incentivising returns, after a sharp increase in touchbacks in recent years, particularly last season. The return average last season was 21.8 per cent (the lowest in NFL history). There were a total of four kick-offs returned for touchdowns during the season, and all 13 kick-offs in Super Bowl LVIII resulted in touchbacks last February. Of course, the kick-off team was on their 35-yard line and the return team could line up on the opponent’s 45-yard line — only 10 yards apart.

The return rate saw a significant drop from 37.5 per cent in 2022 and is down from 80 per cent in 2010, after a series of rule changes on alignment, blocking techniques and the touchback significantly impacted the decision of teams to opt for returns. The new thinking is that, by making the new kick-off alignment more similar to that of a regular running play, the danger-factor will not be increased and therefore, more teams will choose to return the ball, more often. Additionally, since these will appear more as ‘glorified’ running plays, more running backs may be used as returners instead of the smaller receivers that are usually employed in the play.

The NFL estimates that more than half of all kick-offs will be returned this season, which is conservative since, throughout this preseason, the kick-off return rate is just under 78 per cent. The rules themselves will take some getting used to for the seasoned NFL aficionado, but they are simple and should become more digestible as the season wears on. The following are the salient points of the new rules:

ALIGNMENT

The ball is kicked from the kicking team’s 35-yard line (same as current rule).

All kicking team players, other than the kicker, will line up with one foot on the receiving team’s 40-yard line.

The kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line until the ball touches the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone. The other 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or hits a player in the landing zone or in the end zone.

At least nine players on the receiving team must line up in their setup zone — a 5-yard area from the 35 to the 30-yard line — with at least seven players with a foot on the 35-yard line (restraining line) with alignment requirements (outside numbers, numbers to hashes, and inside hashes).

Players not on the restraining line must be lined up in setup zone outside the hash marks.

All players in the setup zone cannot move until the kicked ball has hit the ground or hit a player in the landing zone or in the end zone.

A maximum of two returners may line up in the landing zone and can move at any time prior to, or during, the kick.

LANDING ZONE

The landing zone is the area between the receiving team’s goal line and its 20-yard line. Any kick that hits in the landing zone must be returned.

Any kick that hits short of the landing zone is treated like a kick-off that goes out of bounds and the ball is spotted at receiving team’s 40-yard line; play would be blown dead as soon as ball lands short of the landing zone.

Any kick that hits in the landing zone and then goes into the end zone must be returned or downed by the receiving team. If downed, the result is a touchback to the 20-yard line.

Any kick that hits in the end zone and stays inbounds can be returned or downed. If downed, the result is as touchback to the 30-yard line.

Any kick that goes out of the end zone (in the air or bounces), results in a touchback to the 30-yard line.

MISCELLANEOUS

If conditions cause the ball to fall off the tee twice, then the kicker will be allowed to use a kicking stick to keep the ball in place. The closest covering official will pick up the stick immediately after the kick.

The new rules eliminate the possibility of a surprise onside kick as the trailing team, at the beginning of the fourth quarter (only), must declare their intention to the officials, and the onside kick will be conducted under the same rules that are currently in place.

If the onside kick goes beyond the setup zone untouched, the kicking team is penalised 15 yards (unsportmanlike conduct penalty), and the return team would start their drive at the kicking team’s 20-yard line.

It’s too early to make solid judgments on the influence of the new rules but, based on the preseason percentages, the results indicate that the impact should be significant. Of course, the preseason games are not played at full speed and a lot is still left to be seen. Are you ready for some football?

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Super Bowl LIX Champion

– February 9, 2025

Team Odds

Kansas City Chiefs 6.40

San Francisco 49ers 6.80

Baltimore Ravens 11.00

Detroit Lions 13.00

Cincinnati Bengals 14.00

Buffalo Bills 15.00

Philadelphia Eagles 15.00

Houston Texans 17.00

Green Bay Packers 18.00

Dallas Cowboys 19.00

*Only Top 10 odds are shown (see website for full list)

Note: Odds are subject to change