NFL considers onside kick rule changes

The NFL's "dynamic" kickoff is here to stay, but minor changes could be coming to the onside kick.

League owners will consider this week a proposal to change onside kicks that would allow the trailing team to declare an onside kick at any point during the game. Currently teams can only declare an onside kick in the fourth quarter. The rule that only a team that is behind on the scoreboard can try an onside kick will remain in place.

The rule will also modify the formation requirements for the kicking team on onside kicks. Players on the kicking team will now be allowed to have their front foot on the restraining line on onside kicks, which puts them a little bit closer and could make recovering onside kicks easier.

The NFL has continued to make changes to onside kicks that reduce the number of high-speed collisions in confined spaces, which is good for player safety but makes onside kicks harder to recover.

Another option would be adopting one of the onside kick alternatives that regularly get proposed, such as allowing the kicking team to put its offense back on the field, facing a fourth-and-15, and keep the ball if they convert. Such rules have led to some exciting late-game situations in minor football leagues, but so far those proposals have failed to generate significant support within the NFL.

Instead, the NFL is looking at potentially minor changes to the onside kick.