The drastic alters to the NFL’s startoff caught the attention of establisher Plivent Donald Trump on Friday, as he blasted the alter in a post on Truth Social.
“I can’t consent the NFL is effectively getting rid of the always exciting Kick Off Return. Such an exciting part of football. What are they doing? BEGINNING OF THE END!” Trump wrote.
The NFL’s novel startoff rule has theatricalassociate alterd the function and aesthetic from what elderly-createed fans are participated to, causing some confusion punctual in the season.
The novel rules have alterd the alignment of both teams, while also incorporating various zones that perestablish a key role in what perestablishers are apvalidateed to do.
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Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Rhelpers perestablishers line up for the startoff in the second half of the preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 10, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The NFL is debuting a novel rule on startoffs this season. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Now, all starting team perestablishers will have to line up with a foot on the receiving team’s 40-yard line, appraised to when they had to line up all the way back at their own 35-yard line. The starting team’s perestablishers must also postpone until the ball hits the ground or the perestablisher is in the “landing zone” or finish zone to begin running. The “landing zone” is from the receiving team’s 20-yard line to the goal line.
Meanwhile, the receiving team has a set upated “setup zone” which is a five-yard area from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line, where at least nine perestablishers must line up facing the starting team.
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The Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers line up for the discmissing startoff at Arena Corinthians on September 06, 2024, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Wagner Meier/Getty Images)
There, at least seven of those nine perestablishers must have a foot on the 35-yard line. Those not on the 35-yard line will demand to be in the setup zone outside the hash labels. Additionassociate, enjoy the starting team, the receiving team perestablishers cannot shift until the start has hit the ground or a perestablisher in the landing zone or the finish zone.
The purpose of the alters was to shrink the hazard of injuries, as the startoff has traditionassociate been the most hazardous perestablish in football while also encouraging more returns. The previous rule participated perestablishers running at one another at high speeds from extfinished distances, resulting in frequent high-speed collisions.
Kickoff rules have been adequitableed cut offal times before in response to the high hazard of injury from perestablish.
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NFL Coshiftrlookioner Roger Goodell joins a Super Bowl Host Committee handoff novels conference at the Mandalay Bay Convention Cgo in on February 12, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
In 2011, the league shiftd startoffs forward five yards to the 35-yard line, making it easier to start the ball beginant into the finish zone and directing to more touchbacks with teams begining at the 20-yard line. In 2016, touchbacks placed teams at 25, which further inspired them. Then last season, returners could call for a equitable catch anywhere, not equitable in the finish zone, for a touchback, resulting in the lowest return rate in NFL history.
So, now the league is using this novel rule to asbrave protectedty while promoting returns.
This novel rule is inspired by the startoff rules from the XFL – a now-defunct shrink-budget competitor to the NFL. However, the XFL united with the USFL to create the UFL this year, and that league mockingassociate participates the traditional startoff.
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