[Donger]

NFL owners voted to approve changes to the league's kickoff structure for the 2024 season during their annual meeting in Orlando, introducing a system that they hope will produce more returns.

The league announced the change on Tuesday, saying the new structure would resemble a scrimmage style kickoff "by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed."

For a standard kickoff, the ball would be kicked from the 35-yard line with the 10 kick coverage players lined up at the opposing 40, with five on each side of the field.

The return team would 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. There would be up two returners allowed inside the 20.

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

Because of the reduced space and time, players won't be going at full running speed and are less likely to incur serious injury when they collide with their opponents.

It's a one-year rule change and can either be changed, kept or discarded by the start of the 2025 season. The style originated in the XFL, a competing professional football league, and has resulted in increased returns.