NFL Rule Changes 2024: Most Notable Reported Stats amid Preseason Schedule of Games

With just one week remaining in the NFL preseason, the effect of the new rule changes has provided some evidence for what can be expected when the real games begin.

The most-talked about change from the offseason was about the kickoff rule. The dynamic kickoff has seen a significant uptick in return rate and big-play returns (at least 40 yards), as well as an increase of more than four yards in average starting field position.

Per ESPN's Kevin Seifert, there was a 10 percent increase in kickoffs that went in the end zone from Week 1 (30 percent) to Week 2 (40 percent).

The increased number of returns has led to kickers being more involved in the action. Seifert noted they are averaging an assist or solo tackle "roughly once in every four games, compared to the 2023 regular-season rate of once in every 15 games."

While most of the attention has been on kickoffs, the decision to turn the hip-drop tackle into a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down was met with pushback from some players.

Through two weeks of the preseason, Seifert noted there hasn't been one flag thrown for an illegal hip-drop tackle.

According to Seifert, the rule was written addresses "only the most obvious way it can be visible" to officials.

The NFL operations manual describes a hip-drop tackle as when a player "unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee."

This does allow for some potential wiggle room if a player doesn't leave his feet to gain leverage and makes a tackle or attempts a tackle using other parts of the technique, it doesn't count as a penalty.

Two review changes that were added this year include determining if a passer is down by contact or out of bounds before throwing the ball and if the game clock expires before a snap.

Per Seifert, there are no indications so far in preseason that either replay option has been used.

The kickoff rule has the most potential of any rule change to swing games this season. Kickoffs were essentially a nothing play last season with a league-record touchback rate of 73 percent.

There is the possibility that teams could eventually instruct their kicker to go back to kicking for a touchback when the regular season begins and just letting the opposing team start from its own 30-yard line.

Based on the preseason results, though, indications are there could be a lot more action from special teams in the regular season than in recent years.