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2024 Training Camp

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24 Questions in 24 Days: New NFL rule changes

GRAHAM-GANO-24-QUESTIONS

Giants.com is counting down to the start of 2024 Giants Training Camp with 24 questions in 24 days.

18) What are the new NFL rule changes?

Dan Salomone: For our Giants fans with a law degree, click here for the full list of rule changes, bylaws, and resolutions adopted by clubs at the NFL Annual Meeting in March. For the rest of us, what we need to know is the kickoff will look completely different and the league banned the hip-drop tackle.

Below is the official language for kickoffs and hip-drop tackle ban as laid out by NFL Football Operations:

  • The ball is kicked from the A35 yard line (same as current rule)
  • Safety kicks would be from A20 yard line (same as current rule)

ALIGNMENT

  • All kicking team players other than the kicker will line up with one foot on the receiving team's B40 yard line
    • Kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line until ball touches the ground or player in landing zone or end zone
    • The 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or player in the landing zone or the end zone
  • The receiving team will line up as follows:
    • Setup Zone – a 5-yard area from the B35 to the B30 yard line where at least 9 receiving team players must line up
      • At least 7 players with foot on the B35 yard line (restraining line) with alignment requirements (outside numbers, numbers to hashes, and inside hashes)
      • Players not on the restraining line must be lined up in setup zone outside the hash marks
      • All players in the setup zone cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone
    • A maximum of 2 returners may line up in the landing zone and can move at any time prior to, or during, the kick

LANDING ZONE

  • Landing zone is the area between the receiving team's goal line and its 20-yard line.
  • Any kick that hits short of the landing zone – treated like kickoff out of bounds and ball spotted at B40 yard line; play would be blown dead as soon as kick lands short of the landing zone
  • Any kick that hits in the landing zone - must be returned
  • Any kick that hits in the landing zone and then goes into the end zone – must be returned or downed by receiving team – if downed then touchback to B20 yard line
  • Kick hits in end zone, stays inbounds - returned or downed – if downed then touchback to B30 yard line
  • Any kick that goes out of the back of the end zone (in the air or bounces) – touchback to B30 yard line

MISCELLANEOUS

  • No fair catch or signal is allowed. Officials will blow the play dead
  • If conditions cause ball to fall off tee twice, then kicker will be allowed to use kicking stick to keep the ball in place. The closest covering official will pick up the stick immediately after the kick
  • Onside kick:
    • 4th quarter begins, the team trailing has the opportunity to declare an onside kick to the officials
    • Current onside kickoff rules would apply. If onside kick goes beyond the setup zone untouched, kicking team penalized for UNS; return team would start the drive at the A20 yard line
  • Penalties:
    • The setup zone and landing zone will not change with any penalties that carry over to kickoffs. Alignment of 10 kickoff team players and all receiving team players would not change – only the spot of the kick would move
    • Penalties on scoring plays will not carry over and will be taken on the Try
    • Penalties on the Try may carry over, and if they do, only the placement of the kicker will change
  • Safety Kick:
    • The kick will be from the 20-yard line, and the kicker will have the option to use a tee; the setup zone and the landing zone will not change
  • Approved Rulings: The special teams working group will continue to work with the Officiating department to examine any necessary approved rulings and/or additional language that may be necessary to support this new rule. This language will be vetted with the clubs, circulated for comment to all the clubs, and finalized by the May meeting for the membership.

RULE TO REMOVE HIP-DROP TACKLE

In advance of the 2024 season, NFL clubs have voted unanimously to remove the hip-drop tackle from the game.

A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier's legs during the tackle.

The NFL analyzed more than 20,000 tackles over the past two seasons and determined that this specific technique causes lower extremity injuries at a rate 20 times higher than other tackles, resulting in an unacceptable risk to player health and safety.

A hip-drop tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first-down if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:

  1. Grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms and
  2. Unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee.

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