NFL owners to vote for re-imagined kickoff proposal spearheaded by Cowboys' John Fassel on Monday

NFL football is one step closer to changing forever if a specific rule is approved during this year's owner meetings, which kicked off on Sunday.  The league is looking into a proposal put together by three special teams coordinators, including Dallas Cowboys' John Fassel, that would completely change how kickoffs take place. The goals behind […]

Mauricio Rodriguez — Dallas Cowboys News Writer
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Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

NFL football is one step closer to changing forever if a specific rule is approved during this year's owner meetings, which kicked off on Sunday. 

The league is looking into a proposal put together by three special teams coordinators, including Dallas Cowboys' John Fassel, that would completely change how kickoffs take place. The goals behind it are twofold: 

  • Incentivize kick returns
  • Make it a safe play with fewer injuries

For a long time, it seems like the NFL's goal for kickoffs has limited itself to keep the number of injuries low but lately, kickoffs have become a rarity to the point where it seems like nothing but a waste of time as a vast majority result in touchbacks.

For the 2023 season, 13 teams had a kickoff touchback percentage of over 80%. Only two out of 32 franchises had less than a 58% touchback rate. It's a dead play. 

Fassel and company came up with a rule change that will be voted on on Monday. The Cowboys special teams coordinator believes they're one step closer no matter what the outcome of the vote is.

“It’s going to pass at some point," Fassel told reporters via Dallas Morning News' Michael Gehlken. "Hopefully the sooner the better.” 

What the re-imagined kickoff would look like

  • The ball would be kicked from the kicking team's 35-yard line.
  • The non-kicker players from the kicking team would line up on the receiving team's 40-yard line, though. They can't move until the ball hits the ground in the landing zone or end zone. 
  • The receiving team can have up to two returners lined up in the landing zone (inside their own 20-yard line). At least nine other players can line up in the set up zone, which would be between their 35 and 35-yard line. They also can't move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone. Notice how this keeps players from gaining velocity before inevitably colliding like in today's returns.
  • Kicks that fall short from the landing zone result in an out of bounds-type penalty (starting at the receiving team's 40-yard line). Kicks that go for a touchback result in the ball being spotted at the receiving team's 35-yard line (unless it first hits the landing zone and then goes into the end zone. Notice how this will incentivize teams to not kick it out of the end zone.  
  • No fair catches allowed. 

There are more details about the play but the above are the key elements of it. You can see a diagram of the zones below.  

NFL kickoff proposal for 2024 owner meetings diagram.
Kickoff proposal’s zones.NFL

Who knows how open-minded NFL owners will be when the idea is voted to begin the week but if approved, football will look very different on our screens. And you know what? It would be for the better. After all, don't we watch it for entertainment? This sounds much more fun than a trip to the fridge knowing nothing is likely to happen on the kickoff. 

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