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New NFL Kickoff Rule, Hip-Drop Tackle, and Guardian Cap Explained

Shikarov
New NFL Kickoff Rule, Hip-Drop Tackle, and Guardian Cap Explained

The NFL is going to look a lot different starting tonight’s opener, when the Kansas City Chiefs line up against the Baltimore Ravens in kickoff.

As in previous years, the ball will be kicked from one end of the field to the other to a pitcher at the other end. Otherwise, it may not be recognizable to fans who have not followed the preseason games.

And that won’t be the only change this season aimed at making the game safer.

Maybe one or two players on the field will wear soft protection over their helmet.

And maybe a player will tackle the returner with too much body weight and land on the returner’s legs. Add a 15-yard penalty to that return.

These three changes for the 2024-25 season provide the most extensive protections for the most players in recent memory. Here’s a quick look at each one.

What is the new NFL kickoff rule?

The kick-off is the most visible of the three changes. It creates a five-yard buffer between all but a few players on the pitch and resembles a scrum play more than a traditional kick-off.

The NFL’s competition committee says the “dynamic kickoff” will give fans a little more action while largely eliminating the quick hits players received from the team kicking and running down the field.

◾ The most interesting: The kicker remains in the other half of the field with the ball placed on the 35-yard line.

◾ The kicking team: The other 10 players from the kicking team line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line.

◾ Two zones:The home team is divided into two zones: the set-up zone and the receiving zone. At least nine members of the home team stand in the set-up zone and up to two players may receive the kickoff in the receiving zone.

◾ THE wait: Only the kicker and the receiver(s) may move before the ball touches the ground or a receiver. No fair catch is allowed.

◾ The landing zone: The ball must land in, you guessed it, the touchdown zone. If the ball lands too low, the receiving team starts at the 40-yard line. If the ball lands too high, play begins at the 30-yard line.

To learn more about the kick-off rule, click here.

What exactly is a hip tackle?

In a hip tackle, the defensive player approaches from behind or to the side, wraps his arms around the offensive player, and becomes dead weight as he falls to the ground. Often, the defensive player’s body lands on the offensive player’s legs. According to NFL executive Jeff Miller, this poses a 25 times greater risk of injury than a regular tackle.

“A hip tackle is very dangerous,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, a former flight surgeon for the New York Jets and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health in New York City. “The defender is essentially swinging his entire body weight when he lands on his ankle, leg or knee. That puts the lower body at risk for serious ankle and ligament injuries.”

Some players and the NFLPA have complained that the hip tackle, which has resulted in a handful of high-profile injuries, is too vaguely defined and will force referees to make highly subjective decisions. If a player is flagged for a hip tackle this season, he will receive a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.

Learn more about the hip-drop tackle here.

What is a Guardian Cap?

The NFL will allow players to wear Guardian caps during regular-season games for the first time, potentially expanding the use of the protective gear since it was made mandatory for certain positions during 2022 preseason practices.

Colts tight end Kylen Granson told The Athletic last week that he would wear a Guardian cap when Indianapolis takes on the Houston Texans on Sunday. He reportedly told the publication, “Why wouldn’t I wear it? Just because it looks silly? I feel like health and safety is more important than aesthetics.”

The Guardian Cap is a soft-shell, padded cover that wraps over a regular helmet to absorb contact and help minimize the impact of hard collisions, reducing concussions.

“We now have two years of data showing a significant reduction in concussions among players who wear Guardian Caps,” Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of player health and safety, said in a statement in April.

When Guardian Caps were introduced in 2022, the NFL said it could reduce the force of head contact by 10% for a player wearing one. If all players wore them, that number could be as high as 20%.

Players suffered roughly the same number of concussions over the past two seasons: 213 in 2022 and six more in 2023. The number of concussions has been trending downward since 2018. The NFL said it conducted about 1.6 concussion evaluations per game in 2023. About every three to four evaluations resulted in a positive concussion diagnosis.

Learn more about Guardian Caps

Other new rules for the 2024 NFL season

◾ Additional challenge: If a team succeeds in one of its two challenges, it can contest a third call.

◾ Two more pieces to review: 1. Was a passer down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass? 2. Delay of game: Did the game clock expire before a snap?

◾ In the absence of change of possession: Allows referees to apply a major penalty to the attack before a change of possession – if both teams commit a penalty on the play. The team that recovers the ball retains possession and the ball is spotted with the penalty distance added.

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