The NFL implemented new kickoff rules for the 2024 season that are expected to both increase action and decrease injury risk. But it’s a major adjustment from what the NFL has done for many years now, and head coaches like Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams are going to have to figure out how to make the best use of it.
Beginning in 2024, players on the kicking team will line up at the opposing 40-yard line while the kicker remains at their own 35. The ball must land at or beyond the 20-yard line inbounds, and the kicking team cannot begin their movement until the ball touches the ground or a player. There are no more fair catches, and any ball that lands between the 20 and the goal line must be returned.
There are plenty more nuances to these rules, but it’s something that McVay is excited to see play out at training camp when he gets his first real look at the new normal for kickoffs, via the Rams on YouTube:
“We’ll see what the hell’s going on with this kickoff and kickoff return,” McVay said when asked what he’s excited to see in training camp. “I don’t know, it’s going to be wild.”
What McVay is most intrigued by is how different the 2024 rule is compared to the 2023 rule, saying that it’s a first for him in his memory of football.
“I can’t remember a time that there’s been a more significant change in regards to how drastic it is than what the previous year entailed as what this is. What’s the intent behind it? Get the foot back in the game. there wasn’t a lot of kickoff returns last year. You look in the Super Bowl, there wasn’t one kickoff return. So it’s get the foot back in the game, try to still maintain the health and safety parameters and that’s the goal and that’s the intent. We’ll see and hopefully it accommodates that.”
The rule has been used, to some degree, in different football leagues like the UFL, USFL and XFL. However, those leagues began with that as the rule, while the NFL is making a significant change from last season to this one. Keeping player safety at the forefront is key as players adjust to the new rules.
McVay and the Rams will spend some time on kickoffs in training camp, and hopefully are as adjusted as possible by the time the 2024 season begins.
Cooper Kupp discusses evolution of Sean McVay offense
When discussing the evolution of an off-field business venture, Cooper Kupp spoke about the ways in which Sean McVay has evolved with his offensive philosophy as his rosters have changed over the years.
