NFL Owners Consider Rule Changes to Kickoff, Challenges at League Meeting

The NFL will conduct its Annual League Meeting in Orlando from March 24-27. As is the case each offseason, one important order of business during the meeting will be the consideration of proposals to change the rules of the game. This year, several of those proposals involve kickoffs and replay challenges.

On Wednesday, the league distributed a list of 10 proposals that will be discussed; all were submitted by individual clubs or the competition committee. The Detroit Lions, for instance, would like to make one change in how replay challenges are administered. Under the current rule, a team only gets a third challenge in a game if both of its first two are successful. The Lions propose that a team gets a third challenge in a game if just one of it’s first two are successful.

The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, want to make an addition to the rulings that can be challenged. Specifically, the Colts want a coach (or a replay official if its within the final two minutes) to be able to challenge any penalty that is called.

The Competition Committee also wants to add the ruling of whether a quarterback is down by contact or out of bounds before the pass is thrown to the list of reviewable rulings.

The Philadelphia Eagles are trying again with a proposal that has been considered before but not adopted, as they want to introduce an alternative to the onside kick when a trailing team wants to retain possession after a score. The idea is to put the ball at the 20-yard line of what would be the kicking team and allow the offense to attempt to convert a fourth-and-20. A team would only be permitted to try this up to two times in a game. This would not eliminate the traditional onside kick but instead provide another option.

Team owners will also be considering an elaborate overhaul of how kickoffs are structured, a proposal that is intended to create more kickoff returns without also negatively impacting player safety. Under this proposal, the kicker would be alone at his 35-yard line while the 10 players in coverage will line up at the opponent’s 40. Most of the return team will be lined up at the 35-yard line, and none of the players in either of those areas can move from their spots until the ball is caught or hits the ground.

The area between the receiving team’s goal line and the 20-yard line is called the “landing zone” and will be the target for opposing kickers; any ball that lands or is caught in this zone must be…