NFL approves new 'hybrid' kickoff

Once upon a time, the ABA brought the 3-point line to the NBA. While not quite as drastic, the XFL has forced the NFL to innovate as well.

League owners on Tuesday approved the adoption of a new 'hybrid' kickoff that should lead to more kicks being returned while also reducing the number of concussions.

While the spot on the field in which the kickoff team aligns is a major departure, it's just one aspect of the reimagined kickoff:

-- Any kick that lands between the goal line and the 20 must be returned.

-- Any kick that lands before the landing zone (the 21-yard line or beyond) is treated as a kick out of bounds, which gives the return team the ball at the 40.

-- Any kick that lands in the landing zone, rolls into the end zone and is down is a touchback to the 20-yard line.

-- Any kick that lands in the end zone or sails beyond the end zone is a touchback to the 35.

-- No fair catches are allowed.

-- The onside kick rules remain unchanged. Onside kicks must be declared beforehand. 

The full verbiage is posted below.

Here's a look at the XFL kickoff in action.

From my chair, it seems the biggest loss here is an aesthetic one. The image of flashbulbs popping and the coverage team racing down the field on the opening kickoff is a hallmark of big games. But after that, what does the kickoff really offer? Thirteen kickoffs were attempted in Super Bowl LVIII, none were returned.

The new kickoff looks different, which means it looks weird, which means many people won't like it. But once the ball is in the air, the new rules will lead to more action. And that's what everyone wants.

None of us now can imagine the NBA without the 3-point line, and perhaps 50 years from now, future football fans won't be able to conceive of a game where coverage teams raced down the field for no apparent reason. 

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.