NFL adopts kickoff rule change that is sure to please Lions coordinator Dave Fipp

Kickoff Change Could Unleash Detroit Lions' Special Teams

Rule Shift Favors Return Game, Aligns with Lions' Coordinator's Vision

The NFL is taking steps to make kickoffs more exciting. The league has approved a rule change that moves the starting point for touchbacks from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line. This modification aims to discourage teams from simply kicking the ball out of bounds and encourage more returns, potentially leading to more action and strategic plays.

Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp expressed his enthusiasm for this change earlier this offseason. "I'm fired up," Fipp told reporters in May. "It's going to be great. We're going to get a ton of plays. I think it's going to change quite a bit."

Last season, Lions kicker Jake Bates had a touchback rate of 77 percent, opting for the safe route. The team attempted just 15 returns all year, with six coming in two games when Tom Kennedy handled return duties. Despite this conservative approach, Detroit ranked third in average starting field position following kickoffs (return or touchback) at the 30.7-yard line.

Fipp anticipates a shift in strategy. "We’ll play a lot more on the attack, a lot more aggressive, a lot more trying to create negative field position for those guys," he said in May after the proposal was floated. "Kind of 'play conservative and not give up the big play' was a little bit more of our mentality a year ago, while we kind of learned more about the play."