Biggest Takeaways From This Year’s Owners Meetings

This past week the owners of NFL Franchises met in West Palm Beach, FL alongside their top staff and coaches. Here’s a rundown of all the rules changes, insights, and knowledge we’ve gained from the reports of these meetings:

1. Change in the Touchback Rule

NFL Kickoffs have experienced abundant change during the past 8 owners meetings. The biggest seen in last year’s kickoff format change. While the new ‘dynamic’ kickoff gave special teams a new look and helped to engage audiences, It didn’t fully succeed at its goal of increasing the kickoff return rate. With this year’s rule change, balls that travel through the end zone will be placed at the 35 yard line instead of the 30 yard line. This incentive for kickers to keep the ball out of the endzone is expected to increase last year’s 30-40% return rate to a 60-70% return rate this season. To read more about the new touchback rule, read our previous story on it here.

2. Bye Bye Chain Gangs – A new method of tracking ball placement

One of the more signficant changes of these meetings was the introduction of “Hawkeye” technology to uncertain ball placements. This new method of officiating will follow the ball throughout the play to record forward progress, putting less pressure on the officials spotting the ball. Hawkeye Technology is used in other sports, like tennis, to mark a ball’s landing spot or track its flight. The conversation for this rule change started after Josh Allen’s controversial failure on 4th and short in this year’s AFC Championship Game against the Cheifs. This change also means that the age old tradition of a chain gang will no longer be in effect. While there continues to be a group of people holding sticks on the sideline, their purpose is to be yard markers for the players and will be used for measurement if the Hawkeye Technology happens to be down. So if you enjoyed seeing those rag tag crews of yellow striped, beer bellied men waddle onto the field to measure the ball in anticipation like I did, then say goodbye to this niche part of the game.

3. New Overtime Rules

Far and away the most overdue change made is the fair play overtime rules. Since the overtime rule was established in 1974, it’s been played in “sudden death” format. Which in some cases, leaves one team without possessing the football in overtime. Now, both offenses will get to obtain possession in a 10 minute period. This rule was enacted for the playoffs in 2024 and is famously how the Chiefs pulled off their Super Bowl LVIII victory over the 49ers. Now, it will be in place for all NFL regular season and playoff games.

4. Alt Uniforms are in and here to stay

NFL franchsies have made strides to increase the viewership and excitement of their teams over the past several seasons by introducing new uniforms and bringing back the classics. This was done through a rule change a few years ago that allowed alternate helmets to be worn during games which opened the doors for new uniform combinations to collide. Previously, teams were allowed three games with alternate uniforms, but are now allowed to wear an alternate uniform for four games in a season.

5. Added Replay Assist

Ah yes, everyone’s favorite part of the game. Sitting through the 6th Doritos commercial of the game while the referees run off to their holistic tent to stare at an Microsoft Surface. Replay assist has had a growing impact in the NFL and it will continue to do so this season. The rule change allows replay assist to make on field adjustements and clarifications in penalties, spotting, and other facets. This, sadly, further removes the personality we’ve seen drained from this game in recent years. Who doesn’t love screaming at a dude dressed like a zebra through their TV and handing out vision impairment diagnoses to people they’ve never met? If we can’t complain about the referees anymore, then who will we have to put all of our problems onto?

Other Tabled Discussions

Some of the more intriguing conversations that brought speculation to the future of the NFL were not decided on during this week’s meetings. They will be revisited and revoted on during the next league meetings in May or next year. Here are some of those topics:

The Tush Push – Owners voted 50/50 on eliminating the play that created substantial success for the Philadelphia Eagles. The new rule could ban a player from pushing another player from behind after immediately receiving the snap from the center.
Playoff Seeding – The Detroit Lions proposed that playoffs be seeded by win record rather than by division winners. This will be revisited and (God, hopefully) rejected at the next meeting.
The 18 Game Season – The owners want it but the players hate it. There is growing momentum for an 18 game (19 week) NFL season – don’t expect it for the 2025 season.
Onside Kicks – Part of the rule change in last year’s ‘dynamic’ kickoff introduction required onside kicks to only be attempted in the 4th quarter and by the trailing team (and the team has to declare their intentions of an onside kick). The league will look into revitalizing onside kicks and increasing their success rate.

So there you have it, this league is changing and changing fast. Soon the officials will be ChatGPT droids and kickoffs will take place in 5 different formats. Hopefully not, but these changes will make substantial impacts on the game we love.

Written by Colby Shannon, Thursday April 3rd 9:02 pm

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