The NFL approved a new kickoff rule this offseason that was met with ire by many coaches. We'll get our first look at how it's handled Thursday when the preseason officially kicks off with the Hall of Fame Game.
The new rule calls for a touchback for any fair catch called for inside the 25-yard-line. The resulting possession will begin at the team's own 25-yard-line. The NFL hopes the adjustment will lead to fewer returns and, in hand, fewer injuries on kickoffs.
The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets will be the first clubs to test the new rule Thursday night.
"I think we're all curious how it all plays out," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday, via the team's official transcirpt. "There may be some teams that hold what they're doing until Week 1 and not necessarily in the preseason, but we'll kind of see how it goes. Hopefully, we'll be covering some kicks and getting some kick returns in the punt game. I think that's a big aspect of this as well, getting some live coverage reps and you don't love to punt all the time, but it's OK to get some punts in. There are some punt return opportunities for all of our young players."
It will be interesting to see how many teams test the fair-catch waters. Special teams are where those bottom-of-the-roster players can earn a job, so they are incentivized to go all out during preseason action.
As Stefanski noted, most clubs hatching a creative scheme for the new fair-catch rule -- from a kicking or receiving side -- are likely to wait until Week 1 to fully unleash said plan. However, we could see a few teams test things out in live action where the results won't hurt.
The Hall of Fame Game between the Browns and Jets kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 3, in Canton, Ohio, on NBC.
