ExtremeRavens Posted August 9 Posted August 9 Attorney by day and NFL referee the rest of the time, Clete Blakeman has seen a lot over his 17 years patrolling football fields across the country. None of it compares with the league’s new kickoff format. “This is the biggest rule change that I’ve experienced,” he said earlier this week at the Ravens’ facility in Owings Mills. “It’s a really unique play.” Indeed. The new kickoff rule, which is based on what the XFL uses and was among a handful of rules changes this offseason, will look much different when Baltimore opens its preseason Friday night against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. In the words of Ravens coach John Harbaugh after watching last week’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears: “The one thing that did jump out at me was it’s confusing for the fans.” With that in mind, here’s a look at why the league altered the kickoff rule, an explanation of it and what else to know. Why did the NFL change its kickoff rule? In short, the new rule, which will be in place for one season (and still could be tweaked during the preseason) before it is reviewed and voted on again, was designed to sharply increase the number of returns per game after a steady decline, including a record-low mark of 21.8% in 2023. By aligning players closer together and limiting when they can move, the league believes it will not only increase the return rate but decrease the number of injuries from high-speed collisions. How will it look? The ball will still be kicked from the 35-yard line, but with 10 players from the kicking team lined up at the opposing team’s 40, with five players on each side of the field. The receiving team, meanwhile, will have at least nine players lined up in the “set up zone” between its own 30- and 35-yard line, with at least seven of them touching the 35. There will be up to two returners allowed inside the 20. What happens once the ball is kicked? Only the kicker and the returners are allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20. If the ball reaches the end zone in the air, it can be returned or the receiving team can opt for a touchback and get the ball at the 30. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone will also result in a touchback at the 30. Should the ball hit a returner or the ground and then go into the end zone, it can be returned or taken as a touchback, with the ball being placed at the 20. If a kick goes out of bounds before the end zone, or hits the ground or is touched by the receiving team before reaching the landing zone, however, the play is blown dead and the ball will be placed at the receiving team’s 40. The same is true if the ball does not reach the landing zone. Is anything about kickoffs the same? The ball is still kicked from the 35-yard line. Kicks following a safety will still be from the 20-yard line, though the new alignment and rules still apply. What about onside kicks? Onside kicks can now only take place in the fourth quarter and be done by the team that is trailing. That team must also inform officials, and players would then be instructed to line up in a traditional formation. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was injured last season by a hip-drop tackle, which is now banned by the NFL. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Other rules changes The kickoff format isn’t the only new rule. Among other changes, the league also banned hip-drop tackles, which is when a defender unweights himself and drops onto the ball carrier’s legs during the tackle. Blakeman confirmed that it was a hip-drop tackle used by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson on Ravens tight end Mark Andrews in Week 11. Andrews injured his ankle on the play and missed the remainder of the regular season as well as a divisional round playoff game. Other high-profile players have been injured on similar plays in recent years; now players will be hit with a 15-yard penalty. Even if a player isn’t penalized, he could still be fined by the league. The longtime referee also conceded it could be be a difficult penalty to call. “If I’m not sure, I’m not pulling the flag,” Blakeman said. “That’s clear from [the league office in] New York. … They don’t want reigning down a bunch of flags.” But there is no bigger change than the rules around the new kickoff, which includes a 5-yard penalty if a player moves too soon. How does Harbaugh, a longtime special teams coach of the Eagles before being hired by Baltimore in 2008, think the new kickoff rules will play out? He believes Baltimore will have an advantage over many other teams, given his background, but he’s also as curious as anyone. “I’m hopeful that we come out here, and we act and look like we know what we’re doing,” he said. “We hope we coach it the right way, and we hope it’s an advantage for us the first part of the season. “The first preseason game, all of the fans, we’re all going to be closely to see what it looks like.” View the full article Quote
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