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Tag: kickoff

  • How Super Rugby’s new rules could widen the gap to test rugby

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  • 3 numbers that help contextualize the NFL’s new kickoff rule

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    As football fans were riding the highs of triumphant victories or weathering the lows of an early season loss, President Donald Trump criticized a recent NFL rule change.

    “The NFL has to get rid of that ridiculous looking new Kickoff Rule,” he wrote Sept. 15 on Truth Social. “How can they make such a big and sweeping change so easily and quickly. It’s at least as dangerous as the ‘normal’ kickoff, and looks like hell. The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about. ‘Sissy’ football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL!” 

    His post misleads about the recent rule adjustment’s dangers — 2024 season data showed it made the game safer.

    Trump was talking about the “dynamic kickoff,” a rule introduced ahead of the 2024 season. The change has kickers line up at the 35-yard line, and the rest of the team line up along the receiving team’s 40-yard line. Only the kicker and returners can move before the ball hits the ground or a returning team member touches it inside the 20-yard line. In 2024, kicks that went beyond the end zone were ruled touchbacks and went to the 30-yard line. This year, the league tweaked the rule so that teams receive the ball on the 35-yard line in that situation. 

    The NFL arrived at the rule change after years of review and experimentation as it sought to balance keeping the game entertaining and improving player safety.

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    Early evidence shows that this season’s change boosted the return rate to its highest point since 2010. Nearly 77% of kickoffs were returned in the first two weeks of play this season, The Washington Post reported.

    Before, players on opposing teams ran toward each other at high speeds and collisions often caused significant injuries. With players starting closer together, they collide at lower speeds.

    Trump has previously denied the severity of brain injuries. In 2016, he criticized the NFL’s concussion protocols. In 2020, he described traumatic brain injuries U.S. service members sustained during a missile strike as “headaches” that he didn’t consider to be “very serious injuries” compared with people who lost limbs. 

    Here are three data points that shed light on the NFL’s change:

    #1 Concussions decreased 17% after the 2024 rule change 

    In February, the NFL released data showing a 17% decrease in concussions during the 2024 season compared with the 2023 season. 

    “The new Dynamic Kickoff rule worked as intended,” the league reported. “Returns increased 57% in the regular season and there were 7 kickoffs returned for touchdowns, the most since 2021. The new rule slowed the average player speeds, as intended, which led to a lower concussion rate (down 43% vs. 2021-2023).” 

    During the 2015 to 2017 seasons, an NFL injury data review showed that while only 6% of plays were kickoffs, they represented 12% of concussions. 

    “Data suggested that players had approximately four times the risk of concussion on the kickoff compared to running or passing plays,” the NFL said. 

    A player who experiences one concussion becomes more vulnerable to future concussions,  exercise physiology professor Melissa Anderson told Ohio Today.

    Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington (6) runs with the ball as he returns a kickoff for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sept. 14, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP)

    #2: Researchers found nearly 92% of former NFL players they’d studied had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

    In 2023, researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center said 345 out of 376 former NFL players’ brains — nearly 92% of the study subjects — had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a rare, degenerative brain condition likely caused by repeated head injuries such as concussions. 

    For comparison, when Boston University researchers studied 164 people from the general population who’d donated their brains to the Framingham Heart Study in 2018, it found only one with diagnosable CTE. The person was a former college football player, the university said. 

    CTE is incurable and can be diagnosed only after death. It can affect a person’s memory, thought processes, mood and personality and motor functions. 

    Boston University’s research could overstate the prevalence of CTE among NFL players because people might be more likely to donate their brains for research if they suspect they have CTE. 

    But the NFL and the sports medicine community have acknowledged that player safety is a significant concern. CTE was discovered in the early 2000s after the deaths of former NFL players. In December 2009, the NFL first acknowledged that concussions have long-term effects and introduced stricter rules about when players could return to play after concussion symptoms.

    A 2019 study looking at injuries in high school sports found that football has the highest concussion rate of 20 sports evaluated, including soccer, basketball and baseball. 

    From 2015 to 2024, the NFL has reported 2,210 concussions — including those sustained during practices, preseason games and regular season games. There are about 1,700 NFL players during a regular season — 53 players for each of the league’s 32 teams. 

    #3: In 2013, the NFL settled a concussion-related lawsuit for $765 million.  

    After more than 4,500 former players sued the NFL, in 2013 the league agreed to compensate retired players for concussion-related brain injuries, pay for medical care and fund research.

    The league denied wrongdoing, but the settlement followed decades of heightened scrutiny on NFL concussions, the league’s knowledge of concussion risks and NFL head injury protocols. 

    In 1994, the league created a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee, seemingly in response to high-profile incidents. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, for example, took a knee to the head during a 1994 championship game and later told his agent he had no memory of playing in the game. Merrill Hoge, a Chicago Bears player, retired in 1994 because of the dangers of continuing to play after several concussions, including one that left him unable to recognize his wife and brother.

    And for retired players, receiving the NFL’s settlement-promised payouts has been far from straightforward and, at times, mired in racism. 

    PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

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  • Fancy begins title defense at Madden NFL 26 Kickoff Challenge

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    (Photo credit: EA Sports)

    The 11th season of the Madden Championship Series (MCS) begins with the debut of the Kickoff Challenge in Orlando on Wednesday.

    Among the 26 Kickoff Challenge competitors are defending champion Fancy, runner-up JonBeast, two-time champion Druni and Henry, the winningest competitor in Madden history.

    Wednesday’s live event will begin at 6 p.m. ET at the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress, featuring the top eight remaining players.

    The MCS Kickoff Challenge is the first of a series of Madden NFL 26 tournaments that concludes with the Madden Bowl and features a $1.5 million prize pool.

    ‘Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed the Madden NFL Championship Series’ influence at the intersection of gaming and football culture,’ EA Head of Esports Monica Dinsmore said. ‘As we enter the 11th season of this historic competition in continued partnership with the NFL, we are looking forward to providing more ways to engage with our Madden NFL community and celebrate the next generation of football fans.’

    MCS 26 EVENTS

    KICKOFF CHALLENGE

    Live Event: September 10

    MOST FEARED CHALLENGE

    Ladders: September 13-14, 20-21

    Elimination: September 27-28

    Live Event: October 15

    ZERO CHILL CHALLENGE

    Ladders: November 7-9

    Elimination: November 22-23

    Live Event: December 10

    LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER

    Ladders: December 12-14, 20-21

    Elimination: January 3-4

    Live Event: January 21

    MADDEN BOWL

    February 2026

    The top 13 point-earners from the Kickoff Challenge, the Most Feared Challenge and the Zero Chill Challenge will qualify for the Madden Bowl. The final opportunity to claim a spot will be through the Last Chance Qualifier.

    The Most Feared Challenge, Zero Chill Challenge and the Last Chance Qualifier will all feature live events at the Health Fortress.

    Fancy, from Frisco, Texas, also won the Kickoff Challenge and the Most Feared Challenge in the Madden 25 season. His $250,000 first prize from the Madden Bowl boosted his season earnings to $358,000.

    Regarding his status as the first player to win three MCS events in a season, Fancy said in March, ‘It means everything, to do something that no one’s ever done before.

    ‘To win three tournaments in one year is unbelievable. Just the turnaround for me. No finals appearances before this year, and to have three championships in one season is crazy.’

    Madden Bowl championship-round history, with final score and winner’s prize money

    2016 — Frank ‘Stiff’ Sardoni Jr. def. Eric ‘Problem’ Wright 37-21; $20,000

    2017 — Michael ‘Skimbo’ Skimbo def. Eric ‘Problem’ Wright 24-20; $100,000

    2018 — Shay ‘Young Kiv’ Kivlen def. Drini ‘Drini’ Gjoka 28-24; $107,000

    2019 — Drini ‘Drini’ Gjoka def. Mike ‘Spoto’ Spoto 41-0; $41,000

    2020 — Raidel ‘Joke’ Brito def. Daniel ‘Dcroft’ Mycroft 17-0; $65,000

    2021 — (3 vs. 3) Henry ‘Henry’ Leverette/Wesley ‘Wesley’ Gittens/Jack ‘NBG’ Kronstein def. Jacob ‘Jwall’ Wallack/Jacob ‘Fancy’ Worthington/Joshua ‘DatBoi’ Wright 31-3; $150,000

    2022 — Henry ‘Henry’ Leverette def. Wesley ‘Wesley’ Gittens 35-31; $250,000

    2023 — Peyton ‘Dez’ Tuma def. Henry ‘Henry’ Leverette 24-21; $250,000

    2024 — Henry ‘Henry’ Leverette def. Wesley ‘Wesley’ Gittens 35-24; $250,000

    2025 — Jacob ‘Fancy’ Worthington def. Jonathan ‘JonBeast’ Marquez 31-28; $250,000

    –Field Level Media

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  • Why did the NFL change the kickoff rule and how will it be implemented?

    Why did the NFL change the kickoff rule and how will it be implemented?

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    NFL owners were busy this week, approving a series of rule changes that address player safety, overhaul the kickoff and expand the use of instant replay.While the changes were all overwhelmingly approved they don’t come without some level of controversy, with many players opposing the ban on the use of the ” swivel hip-drop” tackle and many questions about how the rules will be enforced and the impact they will have on games.The most significant change revolves around the kickoff that has gone from one of the more exciting plays with game-breakers like Devin Hester threatening to take a kick back 100 yards for a score to one with almost no action after most kicks resulted in no returns last season. Here’s an explanation of some of the rules that will be in place this fall. Basically everything.Owners agreed to a one-year trial of a radical change on kickoffs with a new system borrowed heavily from what was used in the XFL spring league.The changes were made in hopes of limiting the high-speed collisions that made kickoffs so dangerous while incentivizing more returns after a sharp rise in touchbacks in recent years. Standard kicks will still begin from the 35 but everything else will look different.The 10 kick coverage players will line up at the opposing 40, with five on each side of the field.The return team will have at least nine blockers lined up in the “set up zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line with at least seven of those players touching the 35. Up to two returners will be allowed inside the 20.Only the kicker and two returners will be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20.Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback and possession at the 30. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone also will result in a touchback at the 30.If a ball hits a returner or the ground before the end zone and goes into the end zone, a touchback will be at the 20 or the kick can be returned. Any kick received in the field of play must be returned.If a kick goes out of bounds before the end zone or doesn’t reach the landing zone, the return team gets the ball at the 40. Under current rules, any touchback — or if a returner calls for a fair catch in the field of play — results in the receiving team getting the ball at its 25. Kickoff returns were becoming obsolete after a series of rule changes to make them safer — and rarer — over the past several seasons.Last season led to a new low with just 21.8% of all kicks being returned as both kicking and receiving teams too often opted to avoid the risk of a possible return. Only four kicks were returned for touchdowns for the lowest total since 1993 — just one more than Jacoby Ford had by himself for the Raiders as recently as 2010. The return rate had a significant drop from 37.5% in 2022 and is down from 80% in 2010 before a series of rule changes on alignment, blocking techniques and the touchback eroded those numbers. The XFL had a 97% return rate on kickoffs in the 2023 season.The changes were put in place because kickoffs were the most dangerous plays with the high-speed collisions contributing to concussions. The hope is the new rule will increase the number of returns without making it more dangerous as the new return will be more similar to a regular running play than the old version.The change also could provide a boost in scoring after the second-lowest scoring season since 2009. Points per game have dropped by a combined six points since 2020 but the new kickoff rule could lead to better field position and more points. Teams started the average possession after a kickoff 25.5 yards from their own end zone. That was as high as the 29 in 2002 when kickoffs played a much bigger role. The new rules eliminate the possibility of surprise onside kicks like the one that famously turned the tide in Super Bowl 44 when New Orleans stole an extra possession by recovering an onside kick to open the second half against Indianapolis.Trailing teams will have to declare their intention to attempt an onside kick in the fourth quarter and those will be conducted under the same rules that had previously been in place.The surprise onside kick isn’t a common practice, with only one being attempted all last season when Denver had an unsuccessful attempt on the opening kick of the season against Las Vegas.In all, there have been five successful onside kicks in the first three quarters of games in the past five seasons. The other big rule change was the ban on a dangerous type of tackle called the “swivel hip drop.” NFL executive Jeff Miller said the tackle was used 230 times last season and resulted in 15 players missing time with injuries. It will now result in a 15-yard personal foul penalty if officials spot it on the field or fines the following week.A violation will occur if a defender “grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms and unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”There were 212 unnecessary roughness calls last season in the regular season and playoffs so this could lead to a significant increase unless defenders curb their behavior. Some of the other notable changes involved tweaks to the instant replay system. Teams now get a third challenge if one of their first two challenges is successful — instead of both — and a few more types of plays are subject to replay. There were less than a dozen games in the regular season and playoffs last season when a coach used both challenges and was successful on only one.Replay can now determine whether a snap got off before the game clock expired, can advise officials on the field on certain elements of roughing the passer and intentional grounding and can overrule an incorrect call on the field that a passer was down or out of bounds before throwing a pass.

    NFL owners were busy this week, approving a series of rule changes that address player safety, overhaul the kickoff and expand the use of instant replay.

    While the changes were all overwhelmingly approved they don’t come without some level of controversy, with many players opposing the ban on the use of the ” swivel hip-drop” tackle and many questions about how the rules will be enforced and the impact they will have on games.

    The most significant change revolves around the kickoff that has gone from one of the more exciting plays with game-breakers like Devin Hester threatening to take a kick back 100 yards for a score to one with almost no action after most kicks resulted in no returns last season.

    Here’s an explanation of some of the rules that will be in place this fall.

    Basically everything.

    Owners agreed to a one-year trial of a radical change on kickoffs with a new system borrowed heavily from what was used in the XFL spring league.

    The changes were made in hopes of limiting the high-speed collisions that made kickoffs so dangerous while incentivizing more returns after a sharp rise in touchbacks in recent years.

    Standard kicks will still begin from the 35 but everything else will look different.

    The 10 kick coverage players will line up at the opposing 40, with five on each side of the field.

    The return team will have at least nine blockers lined up in the “set up zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line with at least seven of those players touching the 35. Up to two returners will be allowed inside the 20.

    Only the kicker and two returners will be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20.

    Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback and possession at the 30. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone also will result in a touchback at the 30.

    If a ball hits a returner or the ground before the end zone and goes into the end zone, a touchback will be at the 20 or the kick can be returned. Any kick received in the field of play must be returned.

    If a kick goes out of bounds before the end zone or doesn’t reach the landing zone, the return team gets the ball at the 40.

    Under current rules, any touchback — or if a returner calls for a fair catch in the field of play — results in the receiving team getting the ball at its 25.

    Kickoff returns were becoming obsolete after a series of rule changes to make them safer — and rarer — over the past several seasons.

    Last season led to a new low with just 21.8% of all kicks being returned as both kicking and receiving teams too often opted to avoid the risk of a possible return. Only four kicks were returned for touchdowns for the lowest total since 1993 — just one more than Jacoby Ford had by himself for the Raiders as recently as 2010.

    The return rate had a significant drop from 37.5% in 2022 and is down from 80% in 2010 before a series of rule changes on alignment, blocking techniques and the touchback eroded those numbers. The XFL had a 97% return rate on kickoffs in the 2023 season.

    The changes were put in place because kickoffs were the most dangerous plays with the high-speed collisions contributing to concussions.

    The hope is the new rule will increase the number of returns without making it more dangerous as the new return will be more similar to a regular running play than the old version.

    The change also could provide a boost in scoring after the second-lowest scoring season since 2009. Points per game have dropped by a combined six points since 2020 but the new kickoff rule could lead to better field position and more points. Teams started the average possession after a kickoff 25.5 yards from their own end zone. That was as high as the 29 in 2002 when kickoffs played a much bigger role.

    The new rules eliminate the possibility of surprise onside kicks like the one that famously turned the tide in Super Bowl 44 when New Orleans stole an extra possession by recovering an onside kick to open the second half against Indianapolis.

    Trailing teams will have to declare their intention to attempt an onside kick in the fourth quarter and those will be conducted under the same rules that had previously been in place.

    The surprise onside kick isn’t a common practice, with only one being attempted all last season when Denver had an unsuccessful attempt on the opening kick of the season against Las Vegas.

    In all, there have been five successful onside kicks in the first three quarters of games in the past five seasons.

    The other big rule change was the ban on a dangerous type of tackle called the “swivel hip drop.”

    NFL executive Jeff Miller said the tackle was used 230 times last season and resulted in 15 players missing time with injuries. It will now result in a 15-yard personal foul penalty if officials spot it on the field or fines the following week.

    A violation will occur if a defender “grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms and unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”

    There were 212 unnecessary roughness calls last season in the regular season and playoffs so this could lead to a significant increase unless defenders curb their behavior.

    Some of the other notable changes involved tweaks to the instant replay system. Teams now get a third challenge if one of their first two challenges is successful — instead of both — and a few more types of plays are subject to replay. There were less than a dozen games in the regular season and playoffs last season when a coach used both challenges and was successful on only one.

    Replay can now determine whether a snap got off before the game clock expired, can advise officials on the field on certain elements of roughing the passer and intentional grounding and can overrule an incorrect call on the field that a passer was down or out of bounds before throwing a pass.

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  • It’s Argentina vs. France in the World Cup final: Here’s everything you should know about the matchup

    It’s Argentina vs. France in the World Cup final: Here’s everything you should know about the matchup

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    After a month of stiff competition in Qatar, the 2022 World Cup’s final matchup is finally set.

    Argentina learned Wednesday that defending World Cup winner France will be its opponent in the final on Sunday. France topped a history-making Morocco side 2-0 a day after Argentina shut out Croatia, which lost to France in the 2018 final, a day earlier. Croatia and Morocco square off for third place in the tournament.

    Related: Why is 2022 Qatar World Cup so controversial? Here’s a list of issues overshadowing FIFA’s tournament.

    Argentina and France, led by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, respectively, were two among a handful of favorites heading into the quadrennial footballing spectacle.

    Here’s what you need to know ahead of the World Cup final.

    When is the World Cup final?

    The tournament title match will be played Sunday, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m. Eastern time. That’s 6 p.m. in Qatar, earlier than the tournament matches have typically been played.

    The World Cup final can be watched in the U.S. on Fox
    FOX,
    -0.90%
     
    FOXA,
    -0.72%
    and Telemundo, owned by Comcast
    CMCSA,
    -3.70%
    unit NBCUniversal. Fox is available through nearly all cable providers, and cord cutters can stream the match live through FuboTV FUBO, SlingTV, the Alphabet-owned
    GOOG,
    -0.56%
     
    GOOGL,
    -0.59%
    YouTubeTV and Comcast’s Peacock.

    Who’s favored to win?

    Both teams have been oddsmakers’ favorite in every one of their 2022 World Cup matches leading up to the final. But for the grand finale, France is seen a slight favorite over Argentina. France is +175 to win, which carries an implied probability of 36.4%, while the Argentina team is being given a 35.1% chance to win, according to the implied-probability data taken from DraftKings’
    DKNG,
    -1.60%
     odds on Wednesday. The outstanding percentage would account for a draw, though all matches beginning in the knockout stage go to a penalty shootout if a score is tied at the end of regulation and at the end of two 15-minute halves of overtime.

    What’s at stake?

    A win for France would mean back-to-back men’s World Cup wins for the European nation, and France’s third title in history.

    Likewise, a win for Argentina would mean its third World Cup title, and the first World Cup win for legend of the game Messi.

    Related: Budweiser says it will award unconsumed Qatar beer to the World Cup winner

    A record-breaking amount of prize money will also be at stake. FIFA has allocated $440 million in prize money this year, up from $400 million for the 2018 World Cup, hosted by Russia. (FIFA announced on the same day in December 2010 its selection of Russia and Qatar to host the global game’s marquee event in 2018 and 2022, respectively.)

    This year’s winning side will get $42 million, up $4 million from the 2018 tournament.

    The runner-up will receive $30 million, and the third- and fourth-place teams are going home with $27 million and $25 million. As for the rest, the teams that lost in the quarterfinals will each receive $17 million; teams that lost in the second round will get $13 million each; and teams knocked out in the group stage (including the U.S.) will get $9 million each. All 32 qualifying teams also received $1.5 million for securing their spots in the tournament. Only Qatar, as the host country, did not have to play its way in through regional competition.

    Is this really Lionel Messi’s last World Cup?

    Messi, playing in his fifth career World Cup, has said that this would probably be the last time he plays in the competition.

    Failing over the years to achieve in international competition for Argentina what he has in club play (save an appearance in the 2014 final against Germany and a Copa America title in 2021), chiefly with Barcelona in Spain and now with Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he and Mbappé are teammates, Messi has previously announced and rescinded an intent to step back as an international. Only now he’s 35.

    From the archives (January 2010): Club or country? Soccer World Cup revives old tensions

    “Yes. Surely, yes,” Messi said when asked whether Sunday’s game will be his last at a World Cup. “There’s a lot of years until the next one, and I don’t think I have it in me, and finishing like this is best.”

    The Margin: Could Qatar’s ‘reusable’ World Cup stadium end up in Uruguay? There are some amazing plans for tournament venues.

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