NFL owners approved a variety of rule changes Tuesday, including a modification of the dynamic kickoff that will place the ball after touchbacks at the 35-yard line and a tweak to the regular-season overtime period to mirror postseason rules, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
The kickoff proposal, submitted by the competition committee, was broken into two parts by owners Tuesday.
While owners approved moving the touchback spot from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line, proposed changes to offside kick rules were tabled by owners for more discussion at meetings scheduled for May. The committee had proposed some mild alignment tweaks and also suggested eliminating the requirement that onside kicks can occur only in the fourth quarter.
The NFL projects that its kickoff return rate will rise to between 60% and 70% with touchbacks moved to the 35-yard line, competition committee chairman Rich McKay said last week.
Both teams will now be able to possess the ball in overtime in the regular season, even if a team scores an offensive touchdown on its first possession after the proposal, submitted by the Philadelphia Eagles, was passed by owners Tuesday. The original proposal was for a 15-minute overtime period, but that was amended to 10 minutes, the sources told Schefter.
Owners also approved proposals to expand the league’s replay-assist system, sources told Schefter. The on-site replay official will be permitted to reverse flags that are thrown for hits to defenseless players, along with fouls for face mask, horse collar, tripping and running into/roughing the kicker. The replay official will not be permitted to call a penalty for a play in which no flag was thrown, however.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s proposal to eliminate an automatic first down as a penalty imposed for defensive holding and illegal contact did not pass, despite the Lions‘ pleas, sources told Schefter.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
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