The league can scrap the new kickoff rule if it doesn’t like what it sees in 2024
The NFL’s new kickoff hasn’t even been used in a single game yet and the league is already making some small changes to the new rule.
In a memo that was sent out on July 25, the league let all 32 teams know that kickers will NOT be allowed to place the football sideways on the tee for a kickoff. When the ball is placed on a tee for a kickoff, it can only be elevated a maximum of one inch off the ground. If the ball is placed on the tee horizontally, then it ends up being about 1.5 inches off the ground, which is why the NFL is prohibiting the horizontal set up.
In the image below, you can see what it looks like when a ball is set up horizontally on the tee.
The NFL’s new kickoff rules are expected to revive one of the most exciting plays in the game.
The plan is for the XFL-style setup to open up possibilities for return men.
That is, unless it doesn’t.https://t.co/TXMgBUn79a pic.twitter.com/CLvxHQFsWR
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 18, 2024
Apparently, kickers were looking to get an edge with the new kickoff rule, and one way they were going to do that was to set up the ball horizontally, which would have allowed them to put a spin on the ball that they can’t do when it’s set up vertically.
Under NFL rules, kickers are only allowed to use a one-inch tee for kickoffs. Most kickers around the league use a version of the tee below when kicking off.
1 Ground Zero Kickoff Football Tee with Onside Notch https://t.co/CpkH5munJx pic.twitter.com/0UOie0Vts7
— College Football R (@CFootballRank) July 8, 2017
On a normal kickoff, the ball is placed vertically into the divot, which puts the ball one inch above the ground. If the ball is placed sideways, it’s not in the divot, which puts it above the one-inch limit. In the memo, the NFL did note that the ball CAN be placed sideways if it’s directly on the ground. The kicker is also allowed to LEAN the ball up against the tee.
After watching the NFL make this change, at least one assistant coach thinks there could be a few more tweaks before the start of the regular season. Packers special teams coach Rich Bisaccia was asked this week if he thought we would see any more changes to the rule in the next few weeks, and he had an interesting answer.
