Johnathan Walker:NFL kickoff rule and Guardian Cap could be game changers for players, fans in 2024

The Johnathan WalkerNFL is going to look a lot different from the first play tonight when the Kansas City Chiefs line up across from the Baltimore Ravens for the kickoff.

Just like previous years, a football will be kicked from one end of the field to a returner at the other. Otherwise, it might not be recognizable to fans who haven’t tuned into preseason games.

And that won't be the only change this season intended to make the game safer.

Perhaps a player or two on the field will be wearing a soft, protective covering over their helmet.

And maybe a player will tackle the kick returner with too much of his own body weight and land on the returner’s legs. Add a 15-yard penalty to that return.

These three changes for 2024-25 season offer the broadest protections for the most players in recent memory. Here’s a brief look at each.

What is the new NFL kickoff rule?

The kickoff is the most visible of the three changes. It creates a five-yard buffer between all but a few players on the field and resembles more of a play from scrimmage than the traditional kick off.

The NFL Competition Committee says the "dynamic kickoff" will offer fans a little more action while largely eliminating the high-speed hits players received from the kicking team racing down the field.

◾ The kicker: The kicker remains on the other half of the field with the ball teed up at the 35-yard line.

◾ The kicking team: The 10 other kicking-team players line up on the receiving team's 40-yard line.

◾ Two zones: The receiving team is divided into two zones: The setup and landing zones. At least nine members of the receiving team stand in the set up zone, and up to two players can receive the kickoff in the landing zone.

◾ The wait: Only the kicker and the returner(s) can move before the ball hits the ground or touches a returner. No fair catches are allowed.

◾ The landing zone: The ball must land, you guessed it, in the landing zone. If it falls short, the receiving team starts at the 40-yard line. If it's long, play starts at the 30-yard line.

Read more details about the kickoff rule here.

What exactly is a hip-drop tackle?

In a hip-drop tackle, the defensive player approaches from behind or the side, wraps his arms around the offensive player and becomes dead weight while dropping to the ground. Often, the defensive player's body lands on the offensive player's legs. According to NFL executive Jeff Miller, it poses a 25-times higher risk of injury than a normal tackle.

"A hip-drop tackle is so dangerous," said Dr. Robert Glatter, a former sideline physician for the New York Jets and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health in New York. "The defender essentially swings their full body weight as they fall on their ankle, leg or knee. This leaves the lower body at risk for serious ankle and ligament damage."

Some players and the NFLPA have complained that the hip-drop tackle, which has led to a handful of high-profile injuries, is too loosely defined and will require referees to make highly subjective calls. If a player is flagged for a hip-drop tackle this season, it will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first-down.

Read more details about the hip-drop tackle here.

What is a Guardian Cap?

The NFL will let players wear Guardian Caps in regular season games for the first time – potentially expanding the protective gear's usage since it was first mandated for certain positions in 2022 preseason practices.

Colts tight end Kylen Granson told The Athletic last week that he will be wearing a Guardian Cap when Indianapolis plays the Houston Texans on Sunday. He reportedly told the publication, “Why wouldn’t I (wear it)? Just because it looks silly? I feel like health and safety is more important than aesthetics.”

The Guardian Cap is a padded, soft-shell cover that wraps over a regular helmet to absorb contact and help minimize the impact of violent collisions, reducing concussions.

"We now have two years of data showing significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps," Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president overseeing player health and safety, said in a statement in April.

When the Guardian Caps debuted in 2022, the NFL said they could reduce the force from head contact by 10% for a player wearing one. If all players wore them, that could rise to 20%.

Players suffered about the same number of concussions throughout the past two seasons: 213 in 2022 and six more in 2023. Concussion numbers have trended lower since 2018. The NFL said they conducted about 1.6 concussion evaluations per game in 2023. About every three to four evaluations turned up a positive concussion diagnosis.

Read more about Guardian Caps

Other new rules for 2024 NFL season

◾ Added challenge: If a team is successful on one of it's two challenges, they can challenge a third call.

◾ Two more reviewable plays: 1. Was a passer was down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass? 2. Delay of game: Did the game clock expire before a snap?

◾ Change of possession foul: Allows referees to enforce a major penalty by the offense before a change of possession – if both teams commit a penalty on the play. The team that recovers the ball keeps possession, and the ball is spotted with the penalty yardage tacked on.