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With spring meetings taking place this week, NFL owners continue to approve rule changes that will begin next season.
On Tuesday, owners approved a resolution that allows players to call for a fair catch on kickoffs with the resulting possession beginning at said team’s own 25-yard line. The fair catch off a free kick — safety or kickoff — must occur behind the receiving team’s 25-yard line for the ball to be placed at the 25.
There will be a one-year trial with this rule, so owners will have to vote on it again next offseason to decide if it becomes permanent.
You may be familiar with this rule if you watch college football, where this rule was already in place.
As you can imagine, the league made this change in hopes of increasing player safety, or at least to make it appear like they’re trying to make the game safer.
I’d also say this is more about the appearance of caring about player safety than actual player safety—given a mountain of data that the special teams coaches gathered to oppose the change.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 23, 2023
Indeed, Goodell’s appeal to owners was based largely on legal liability. https://t.co/hxvJurAGlu
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