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The current NFL kickoff rule has been under scrutiny for a long time, with the league focusing on the high number of concussions and injuries that happen due to the high-speed collision between players.
Many rules have been changed before. The touchback was put forward to the 25-yard line, the kickoff was put forward to the 35-yard line and there was even a different standard formation for kicking teams to avoid collisions. But it's nearly impossible to change the specific way the kickoff is played.
Former Indianapolis Colts punter and media pundit Pat McAfee, who made a career for himself in the league as a special teams player, has sounded off on recent rumors regarding the new option to adopt the XFL's kickoff rule. For him, it's something that's not professional enough and it looks terrible:
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That XFL kickoff is not coming to NFL. It doesn't work. That is an embarrassment of football. It is disgusting. It is stupid. It looks terrible. It is Bush league. Mickey Mouse. Especially with no fans. Don't even acknowledge that it's a thing.
How is NFL's kickoff rule different to the XFL version?
The XFL kickoff is an interesting play. Players from the kicking and the returning team are placed just five yards apart, with the returning players at the 30-yard line and the kicking players at the 35-yard line. Until the ball is fielded, only the returner can move.
The goal is simple: while Roger Goodell tries to eliminate high-speed collisions by basically eradicating the kickoff, the XFL focused on eliminating the collisions while still having an exciting play. According to XFL data, the number of kickoffs returned is close to 90%, while in the NFL the percentage is down to 40%.
The touchbacks are different as well. In the XFL, when there's a touchback, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line, while in the NFL, the ball is placed at the 25-yard line.
A new rule starting in 2023 says that, if a player fields a kickoff and signals a fair catch anywhere inside the 25-yard line, the ball will be placed there.
