The NFL annual meeting brought even more change to one of the game’s most polarizing plays: the kickoff. For the sixth time in the last 13 years, the league has voted to tweak the rules governing kickoffs.
This latest modification might be the most drastic yet. After previously adopted proposals changed the spot of touchbacks and fair catches, and eliminated wedge and blindside blocks as well as running starts, the new rule will create an entirely different setup — one that was already in use in the XFL.
Now, the NFL has voted to adopt it. The New England Patriots were among the 29 teams voting in favor of the new rules.