Andrew Buller-Russ
During Super Bowl LIV, Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints pulled off a massive surprise by attempting an onside kick to begin the second half of play. But now the NFL is trying to remove that surprise element.
We previously covered how NFL kickoffs could be in for major changes, but now special teams coordinators have proposed a different rule that only allows teams to try onside kicks when trailing in the fourth quarter.
That’s not all. Teams would also have to declare their intent to attempt an onside kick before the play begins. Naturally, this would completely remove the possibility for a ‘surprise’ onside kick that the opponent never sees coming.
However, there would also be a key change that allows teams who try an onside kick to use an unbalanced formation (6×4) that helps increase their chance of recovery.
Onside kicks were only successful 5.2% of the time in 2023, but the new rules, if approved, would not only raise the success rate, but possibly even the frequency they’re used by teams when a big comeback is needed.
The exact details of the proposed rule change is still being finalized, but owners could vote on the idea as soon as March 24-27 during the annual league meeting.
