New York, NY – The NFL is anticipating a significant increase in the percentage of kickoffs returned in the upcoming 2025 season, should a proposed rule change to move touchbacks out to the 35-yard line be approved. In 2024, after the implementation of the new “dynamic” kickoff rule, only 33 percent of kickoffs were returned. This marked an increase from the previous year, 2023, where just 22 percent of kickoffs were returned under the old rule, making it the second-lowest return rate in NFL history.
Prior to the new rule in 2022, 38 percent of kickoffs were returned, with most kickoffs in NFL history being returned until touchbacks became more prevalent in 2013. The current “dynamic” kickoff rule has touchbacks placed at the 30-yard line, leading to 64 percent of kickoffs resulting in touchbacks as teams preferred the safer option of booting the ball into the end zone rather than risking a long return.
Under the proposed rule change, which would move touchbacks to the 35-yard line, the NFL estimates that 60 to 70 percent of kickoffs will now be returned. The Competition Committee has conducted a thorough study on the matter and believes that providing the receiving team with five additional yards on touchbacks will encourage more kicking teams to put the ball in play rather than opt for touchbacks.
This initiative aligns with the NFL’s goal of making kickoffs more action-packed and resembling a normal football play. The league’s decision to alter kickoff rules was driven by an increase in injuries on kickoffs, with data from 2024 showing that injuries are now approximately as common on kickoffs as on any other play. The NFL’s emphasis now is on making kickoffs as exciting and engaging as any other play in the game.