ORLANDO—NFL kickoffs will look significantly different during the 2024 season.
A proposed change to the kickoff passed by a 29-3 vote Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting, meaning for at least one season, that play will undergo substantial changes in an effort to make the play safer while also increasing the number of returns.
Under the new kickoff rule, which is similar to the setup used in the XFL, the ball will still be kicked off from the 35-yard line, but now the receiving team and the kicking team, minus the kicker and returner or returners, will line up five yards apart from each other in the receiving team's half of the field and the 35 and 30 yard line. Other than the kicker and returners, no players can move until the ball is caught or hits the ground.
A kick that lands short of the landing zone (inside the 20-yard line) is treated like a kick out of bounds and results in the receiving team getting the ball at the 40-yard line, and any kick that hits in the landing zone must be returned. If the ball rolls into the end zone and is downed, the ball goes to the 20-yard line, whereas if it lands in the end zone and is downed, it goes to the 30-yard line, and if it goes out of the end zone it also goes to the 30.
The goal of this significant change is twofold, in that it will increase returns, but do so in a safer manner, as the kick coverage team won't be running full speed down the field, leading to more violent collisions.
"We're taking a play that's essentially been dying over the course of the last two years, and in our opinion, we've revived it," Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said in a press conference at the NFL Annual Meeting after the change was passed.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked about the potential rule change earlier in the morning before the vote, and said, "It's definitely a significant change. So if that's something that gets voted in, and we're going to have to go to work on it, and try to be ahead of the league once this thing kicks off."
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald continues to build out his coaching staff for 2024 so check out who will be will leading the team next season. (02/28/24)
The Seattle Seahawks named Mike Macdonald the ninth head coach in franchise history on January 31, 2024.
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Aden Durde joined the Seahawks coaching staff as defensive coordinator on February 13, 2024 following three seasons (2021-23) as the Cowboys defensive line coach. He returned to Dallas in 2021 after beginning his NFL coaching career there during training camp as a Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship intern in 2014 and 2015.
Harbaugh joined the Seahawks staff as special teams coordinator on February 13, 2024, after spending nine seasons with the University of Michigan. During his time, he served as the team's special teams coordinator, and worked with the safeties and running backs.
The Seahawks hired Mack Brown as tight ends coach on February 22, 2024. Brown spent five seasons with the New York Jets; three as an offensive assistant, after two seasons as a defensive assistant.
Hired as a defensive assistant/linebackers coach by the Seahawks on February 22, 2024, Bynes officially enters his first season as an NFL coach.
The Seahawks hired Rob Caprice on February 22, 2024, after spending three seasons (2021-23) at the University of Tennessee aiding the defensive staff.
Devin Fitzsimmons joined the Seahawks staff as assistant special teams coach on February 15, 2024. He spent the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers as special teams assistant after serving in the same role with Arizona (2021-22). Fitzsimmons, now in his 20th year of coaching, begins his 12th year as part of special teams units in college and the NFL.
Leslie Frazier joined the Seahawks staff as assistant head coach on February 13, 2024, and enters his 25th season as an NFL coach. He did not coach in the NFL in 2023 after spending six seasons with the Buffalo Bills as defensive coordinator (2017-19) and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator (2020-22).
This is a 2019 photo of Thomas Garcia of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster of as of June 10, 2019 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seattle hired Zak Hill on February 22, 2024, following two seasons (2022-23) as a high school coach in the Phoenix area and two seasons (2020-21) as Arizona State's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
Justin Hinds was hired as the defensive line coach by the Seahawks on February 22, 2024. Hinds enters his 16th season in coaching in 2024 and served as an assistant defensive line coach for the Chicago Bears from 2022-23.
Jeff Howard joined the Seahawks coaching staff as safeties coach on February 22, 2024, after one season coaching linebackers for the L.A. Chargers, and three seasons (2020-22) as defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach for the Cleveland Browns.
Entering his first NFL season, Scott Huff joined the Seahawks as offensive line coach on February 13, 2024. Previously, Huff spent seven seasons with the Washington Huskies (2017-23) in the same capacity.
Hired by Seattle on February 22, 2024, Frisman Jackson joins the Seahawks following two years (2022-23) as the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach.
Charles London joined the Seahawks coaching staff as quarterbacks coach on February 22, 2024, working for Tennessee for the second time in his career in 2023, this as the pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach after spending two seasons (2021-22) as quarterbacks coach with the Atlanta Falcons.
Named to the Seahawks coaching staff on February 22, 2024, Nugent comes to Seattle after two seasons (2022-23) as offensive line coach for the L.A. Chargers.
Quinshon Odom joined the Seahawks staff on February 22, 2024 after two seasons as Green Bay's coaching assistant through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. He previously worked in Green Bay's player personnel department during the 2018 season.
Entering his 22nd season as a coach in the NFL, Kirk Olivadotti joined the Seahawks staff on February 13, 2024, after spending five seasons (2019-23) as the inside linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers.
Chris Partridge joined the Seahawks staff as outside linebackers coach on February 22, 2024, following one season at the University of Michigan in the same capacity.
Jake Peetz joined the Seahawks coaching staff on February 22, 2024, following two seasons with the L.A. Rams.
Nick Perry joined the Seahawks coaching staff on February 22, 2024 in a defensive quality control role after spending the prior season as the Atlanta Falcons assistant wide receivers coach and serving as Atlanta's defensive backs coach from 2021-22.
Kennedy Polamalu was hired as running backs coach on February 22, 2024. He enters his 33rd season in coaching at both the NFL and collegiate levels, and spent two seasons (2022-23) as running backs coach with the Las Vegas Raiders prior to joining the Seahawks.
Tyson Prince joined the Seahawks coaching staff on February 22, 2024, following one season (2023) as Sacramento State's wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.
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This is a 2019 photo of Grant Steen of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster of as of June 10, 2019 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
This is a 2019 photo of Danny Van Dijk of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster of as of June 10, 2019 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
