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Last Thursday night, the NFL kicked off the 2024 pre-season with the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton. The Chicago Bears defeated the Houston Texans 21-17 in a game shortened by inclement weather. The outcome of the game was of no relevance at all. It was nice to see football back on television again, but other than that, not a lot of importance to the game itself.
The major talking point coming out of that game, however, is the implementation of another set of rule changes by the NFL. This time, the league has decided to generally overhaul onside kicks and kickoffs.
For at least the 2024 season, onside kicks will now only be permitted in the fourth quarter, by a team who is trailing. Additionally, the kicking team has to declare to the officials that they are attempting an onside kick, which eliminates entirely the possibility of a surprise attempt, catching the receiving team off guard.
For kickoffs, players on both sides must occupy specific zones on the field. Players on the receiving team who are not return men will not be able to move until the ball hits the ground or is caught by a receiver.
The goal of this is to reduce injuries, specifically head injuries, by reducing high-impact crashes between very large players moving at a high rate of speed. That’s understandable, given how concussions and CTE are huge points of discussion in sports. From that standpoint, it’s an admirable effort.
However, I think it’s fair to ask if these rule changes are too much and if they are beginning to have a negative impact on the on-field product. Personally, I have really resented the fact that, after every play, my eyes gravitate towards the section of the screen that says if there’s been a flag thrown. Whether it be holding, or pass interference, or something else, it often turns what was a great play into a five-yard penalty.
The league’s competition committee takes a look at making rule changes every off-season.
They elect to tweak certain things here and there. In recent years, the rules have generally been geared towards increasing scoring. The way offensive players can be defended has changed to allow receivers more time and space to make catches. The way quarterbacks can be tackled has been changed to protect the league’s biggest names.
At what point are the tweaks on these rules too much? At what point does it become a case of not fixing what isn’t broken? These are fair questions. What is also fair is that fans generally take offense to is that the rules the league does have on the books are enforced on a very subjective basis.
It’s been said that holding can be called every play, and surely no one wants to see holding called every play, but it puts into question when it’s decided to be called and when it’s decided not to be called. For every ticky-tack call that washes out a big play, there’s the egregious missed call that makes you lose your mind. Fans want consistency, first and foremost, but past that, they don’t want a flag called every play, ruining the flow of the game.
The changes to kickoffs and onside kicks are temporary for this year. We’ll see if they stick.
Brian Attard is a lifelong resident of Hammonton, avid sports fan and host on The Sports Box Network (@SportsBoxSports on all social media platforms).
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