Count Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith as a major fan of the NFL’s new kickoff rules.
Speaking Tuesday during mandatory minicamp for the first time since the implementation of the new kickoff rules, Smith stated his excitement, believing that the new rules borrowed from the UFL and its kickoff is bringing back an exciting, important play to the NFL once again.
I love [it]. I am dead serious. I love it. I’m excited about it,” Smith said to reporters Tuesday, according to video via the Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski on Twitter. “I think it’s great for football. It’s a challenge and I love it.”
Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith on how the new NFL kickoff rule came about pic.twitter.com/wGAhpkqyMn
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 11, 2024
The new kickoff will certainly a challenge in the NFL. The rule change was approved by a 29-3 vote in late March and brings an exciting play back to the NFL game while also seemingly lowering the risk of injury involved.
According to the rule change, the coverage team will be lined up together on the receiving team’s 40-yard line and five players must be on either side of the ball, which is designed as an attempt to lower the large-scale collisions that take place with players running full speed down the field at each other.
Here’s a look at the official kickoff-change rule proposal. Teams could have a maximum of 2 returners. Kicking team can’t move until the ball hits in the landing zone or is fielded there. No more fair catches. pic.twitter.com/LaquOHnh3d
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) March 20, 2024
On the other side of the field, the receiving team will be set up from the 30-yard line to the 35. Most of the receiving team will line up at the 35 and will be allowed to have two returners back to field the kickoff. The fair catch has been eliminated from kickoffs.
If the kickoff doesn’t go beyond the start of the landing zone, then it is considered out of bounds, and the returning team will get the ball at the 40-yard line, much like when it went out of bounds previously. Touchbacks, which have been at the 25-yard line since 2016, will now be starting at the 30-yard line.
The rule change is designed to bring back a potential game-changing play, which will create a challenge for special teams coordinators. Some are already getting creative, and Smith is certainly excited to dive in, embracing the challenge and pushing himself to work harder.
“You know, that makes it a challenge for all the special team coaches in this league, me included, obviously,” Smith said, according to Adamski’s video. “And it makes you work harder, and I’ve never been one to run away from work. I run to it, and so it’s been a challenge from that standpoint. We’ll see how it is on display.
“I’m glad we have three preseason games to find out about it. But it is exciting. We’ve come a long way with it, with our football team, and I’m honest to God, I am really excited for it.”
The excitement from Smith’s standpoint stems from the Steelers signing arguably the greatest kick returner in NFL history in Cordarrelle Patterson, a move that was made immediately after the rule change and was very clearly made with that rule in mind.
Having that type of weapon back there will do wonders for the Steelers and for Smith, as far as his ability to be creative in the blocking schemes to try and draw things up to get Patterson in space and create a major splash play for the Steelers in the process.
It’s a new rule and a new spin on the kickoff, but Smith is embracing the change and is really looking forward to putting his coaching chops on display in the process. Those three preseason games will really help work out the kinks, too.
