NOW IN PLACE. FOR 2024. THE NFL HAS GONE DRAMATICALLY OUT OF ITS WAY TO TRY TO REINVIGORATE THE KICKOFF AND KICK RETURN. YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE MOST EXPLOSIVE PLAYS IN THE NFL INJURY CONCERNS TAMP THAT WAY DOWN. LAST YEAR, ALMOST 80% OF ALL KICKOFFS SIMPLY RESULTED IN TOUCHBACKS.. THIS YEAR, THE NEW RULE, THE NEW SETUP IS DESIGNED TO FORCE TEAMS TO KICK THE BALL TO WHERE OPPONENTS CAN RETURN IT. LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH IT. THE KICKER DOESN'T CHANGE. HE'S STILL AT THE 35 YARD LINE. THE OTHER TEN MEMBERS OF THE KICKING TEAM SET UP AT THE OPPONENT'S 40 YARD LINE. THIS IS CALLED THE START LINE. THEN THE RECEIVING TEAM. NINE MEMBERS OF THE RECEIVING TEAM ARE IN WHAT'S CALLED THE SET UP ZONE. SEVEN PLAYERS AT THE 35 YARD LINE. TWO PLAYERS AS DEEP AS THE 30 YARD LINE. THEY CAN PUT THIS IN ANY CONFIGURATION THEY WANT AS LONG AS THEY HAVE NINE PLAYERS IN THAT SETUP ZONE. THEN YOU HAVE TWO DEEP PLAYERS IN WHAT'S CALLED THE LANDING ZONE. THE LANDING ZONE GOES FROM THE GOAL LINE TO THE 20 YARD LINE. NOW HERE'S THE THING. DEPENDING ON WHERE THE BALL IS KICKED, DEPENDS ON WHERE A TOUCHBACK IS PLACED. THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT SPOTS. IF THE BALL IS KICKED INTO THE END ZONE AND TAKEN FOR A TOUCHBACK, THE KICKING TEAM IS TECHNICALLY PENALIZED. THE BALL IS PUT AT THE 30 YARD LINE, BUT IF THE BALL IS KICKED, HITS IN THE LANDING ZONE AND GOES THROUGH THE END ZONE FOR A TOUCHBACK, THE KICKING TEAM IS REWARDED. THE TOUCHBACK IS AT THE 20 YARD LINE. IF, HOWEVER, THE KICKER KICKS THE BALL AND IT COMES DOWN SHORT OF THE LANDING ZONE, BIG PENALTY FOR THE KICKING TEAM, THEN THE BALL IS PLACED AT THE 40 YARD LINE. THE GOAL OF THE NEW RULE, THE GOAL OF THE SETUP IS TO FORCE THE KICKING TEAM TO PUT THE BALL IN THE LANDING ZONE, AND ALLOW THE RETURN TEAM TO BRING THE KICKOFF OUT AND