Total Pro Sports
Before the start of the 2024 season, the NFL’s 32 owners voted to make a dramatic rule change to the kickoff, and now, before the 2025 season, a change has come to the onside kick.
The NFL changed its kickoff rules for the 2024 season to increase the number of returns and decrease the number of head-on collisions. Kickoff returns basically died as non-kickers and non-returners from each side now have to line up five yards apart between the 35- and 30-yard lines.
The only person who can move is the kicker. Once the returner catches the ball, everyone can begin to move.
With the NFL’s new kickoff rules, teams had to declare an onside kick to the officials so that both the kick and return teams could adjust their positions.
NFL owners reportedly voted in favor of a change to the onside kick rule at the league’s spring meeting in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the new rule will allow teams to declare for an onside kick at any point in a game if they are trailing. The kicks will also be taken from the 34-yard line instead of the 35-yard line.
NFL owners have approved a tweak to the onside kick:
— Kicking team now lines up 1 yard closer.
— A team can attempt it any time while trailing (not just in 4th quarter).
The hope: modestly increase success rates, which were just 6% last season. pic.twitter.com/bHACnWsJl5
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 21, 2025
The league knew it needed a change to the onside this offseason.
The NFL overhauled the kickoff on a one-year basis for 2024, but the onside remained mostly the same aside from the elimination of the surprise.
By mid-December of the 2024 season, teams had recovered only 3 of 41 onside kicks.
That is a terrible percentage that is likely to change in 2025.
