Jets studying for kickoff rule change that is still ‘huge unknown’

As coaching camps open for the 2024 NFL season, there’s a nice unknown hanging over each crew.

The NFL instituted a brand new kickoff rule this 12 months, and it’ll drastically alter a play that turned stale lately after modifications have been made for security.

Nobody appears to know fairly what to anticipate from the rule change, together with coaches.

“It’s an enormous problem with all these new guidelines,” Jets particular groups coach Brant Boyer stated. “It’s type of a wait-and-see type of deal, and also you see what matches and what works and what kicks are greatest and who’s doing it, all that stuff. I feel there’s an enormous unknown, to be trustworthy with you. We’ve carried out nothing however examine and examine and examine, and been in right here nearly day-after-day, to be trustworthy with you, making an attempt to determine what’s going to work greatest, however no person is aware of till you strap it up and the preseason video games begin.”

The kickoff goes to be an enormous storyline within the preseason, when informal followers tune in and see a play that appears very completely different from what they’re used to.

The largest visible distinction is the formation.

The kicking crew, aside from the kicker, will line up with one foot on the receiving crew’s 40-yard line.

These gamers can’t transfer till the ball hits the bottom, a returner or the tip zone.

The receiving crew will line up in two zones.

The setup zone is a 5-yard space from the 35 to the 30 the place 9 gamers should line up.

Seven gamers should have a foot on the 35-yard line.

These gamers can’t transfer till the kick has hit the bottom, a returner or the tip zone.

Then, there may be the touchdown zone.

That is the realm between the 20-yard line of the receiving crew and the objective line. Groups can have a most of two returners on this space.

Any kick that lands in need of the touchdown zone shall be handled like a kickoff out of bounds, and the ball shall be noticed on the 40-yard line.

A kick that lands within the touchdown zone should be returned.

If the ball lands within the touchdown zone then goes into the tip zone and the receiving crew downs it, the ball shall be noticed on the 20-yard line.

If a kick hits in the long run zone and is downed or goes out of the again of the tip zone, the ball shall be noticed on the 30.

The XFL had the same kickoff rule, and Boyer stated he has been finding out “a ton” of that league’s movie.

Nonetheless, he’s uncertain what to anticipate.

“All of it appears good on paper what all of us have deliberate and what we attempt to do, however on the finish of the day, no person is aware of till we get on the market within the preseason, and that’s the reality,” Boyer stated.

The Jets anticipate the variety of returns to extend dramatically with this new rule.

That’s one cause they signed veteran returner Tarik Cohen this spring.

Additionally they had Jakeem Grant in for a tryout however didn’t signal him.

There may be debate about whether or not groups shall be kicking line drives on the returners or making an attempt to skip it on the bottom to make it harder to discipline the ball.

There may be additionally debate about what sort of returner you need precisely.

“That’s a part of the dialogue for certain, like what sort of area is there going to be?” Jets coach Robert Saleh stated. “Are you breaking arm tackles? Are you operating by way of area? However once more, there’s numerous unknowns. There’s going to be numerous discovery made on this first 12 months. There’s going to be numerous discovery made inside the first 5 weeks. By the point you permit coaching camp, there’s going to be numerous discovery and ideas on the route that it’s going to go, so I feel I undoubtedly converse for this constructing that we’re all excited to see what occurs with it.”

Particular groups generally get ignored within the preseason.

This 12 months, the brand new kickoff will take middle stage.