NFL commissioner Roger Goodell talks kick-off rules, Super Bowl outside United States
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Helmets at the line of scrimmage as New York Jets long snapper Thomas Hennessy (42) snaps the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the second half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
PHOTO: USA TODAY SPORTS
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LONDON – National Football League (NFL) commissioner Roger Goodell said on Oct 12 that the results of the new kick-off rules are “incredibly promising”, with just over 30 per cent of kick-offs returned in 2024, up from 20 per cent last season.
Speaking at a fan forum in London ahead of the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears on Oct 13, he said kick-off drives – which started just past the 24-yard line in 2023 – are beginning just past the 29 this year.
“With that increase in returns, it’s giving us more data to determine whether we can do it more safely,” Goodell said.
“It actually is incredibly promising. We’re seeing lower impacts that have led to less severe injuries and less number of injuries. So I think it’s working,”
He anticipates the kick-off rules will undergo a bit of tweaking after this season to ensure player safety.
“I think what we’ll see ultimately is a change in the off-season,” he said.
“Once we know it’s a safer play, it will encourage more kick-offs. That could happen in a couple of ways. You could move the kick-off line back, so that they can’t kick it out as easily. You could also say the penalty for kicking it out is going to go to the 35 instead of where we’re at, the 30.”
Along with discussing the kick-off rules, Goodell told the fan forum that holding a Super Bowl outside the United States for the first time is a possibility. He had previously dismissed the idea.
“We’ve always traditionally tried to play a Super Bowl in an NFL city,” he said. “That was always sort of a reward for the cities that have NFL franchises. But things change. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if that happens one day.”
If the NFL expands its regular season from 17 games to 18, Goodell could see the league play 16 games per season outside the US. He expects the NFL to play games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Ireland in the near future. Madrid is slated to host its first game in 2025.
NFL executive vice-president Peter O’Reilly said last week its international slate of games this season can act as “mini Super Bowls” for American football fans outside the country as it continues to expand its overseas footprint.
In addition to beefed up pre-game and half-time shows, the clubs are engaging with fans through pub takeovers and flag football events, he said.
“For us, it’s really about creating mini Super Bowls,” O’Reilly said of the league’s championship game.
“We’re thinking through everything we do surrounding the game – the exterior of the stadium, creating big pre-game moments, like the playing of the national anthems and having sizeable half-time performances.” REUTERS
