Anyone who hasn’t been living on Mars for the last five months knows that the NFL has made drastic changes to the kickoff play.
But while the “dynamic kickoff” is the most significant rule change this year, it is not the only one. The NFL doesn’t publicize many of its new rules, they simply appear in red ink in the 2024 rulebook. The competition committee, working in conjunction with officials and teams, has the latitude to tweak or clarify rules it deems in the best interest of the game.
Here are some of the most important rule changes that you’ll need to know:
▪ Rule 12-2-18: Outlawing the “hip-drop” tackle. This was a big one for the NFL, which said it caused at least one injury per week last season and had an injury rate 20-25 times higher than a typical tackle.
The technique will now draw a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down. A hip-drop tackle is defined as a defender grabbing the runner with both arms, “unweighting” himself by swiveling and dropping his hips, and landing on the ball carrier’s legs, which can result in broken bones and torn ligaments.
The NFL said it identified only two hip-drop tackles during the preseason, and neither was penalized. NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said even if plays don’t draw a flag, players will be given warnings, education, and potentially fines when they use the technique.
▪ Rule 15-3-2: Using instant replay to determine whether a quarterback’s knee is down before he throws a pass. If the officials on the field rule that the quarterback was down by contact, and instant replay shows he clearly threw the ball before his knee or other body parts were down, then “the ball will be awarded at the spot of the completion or interception. No advance is permitted. If the pass is incomplete, the down counts.”
▪ Rule 15-5-1 and 15-5-3: Using instant replay to determine inbounds and out of bounds. A ruling that a runner is inbounds is now reviewable to determine if he stepped out. And if the officials rule that a quarterback ran out of bounds, but replay shows he clearly got rid of the ball while inbounds, the same rules apply as above — the ball will be awarded at the spot of the catch or interception with no advance permitted.
▪ Rule 3-25: Making it easier for quarterbacks to throw the ball away. The rule has long been that quarterbacks can throw the ball out of bounds with no penalty for intentional grounding as long as they are outside the pocket, defined as the outside edges of the normal tackle positions. The NFL has now clarified that a quarterback is outside the pocket “if any part of his body or the ball is outside the pocket area.”
▪ Rule 15-9-j through l: Allowing instant replay officials to fix roughing the passer, intentional grounding, and unnecessary roughness. The officials already are allowed to consult with instant replay to ensure proper penalty enforcement, the game clock, possession of the ball, down by contact, and more.
This year, if there is “clear and obvious video evidence” officials can also fix: If a player flagged for roughing the passer but did not make contact with the head or neck area; if a player called for intentional grounding was actually outside the pocket; if a player flagged for hitting a player out of bounds was clearly inbounds when the hit occurred.
▪ Rule 15-1-f: Awarding teams an extra challenge. Under previous rules, a team got a third challenge only if it got its first two challenges correct. Under the new rules, a team will get a third challenge if it is successful “on at least one.”
▪ Rule 6-6: Eliminating surprise onside kicks. The new dynamic kickoff, with players on both teams lining up on the return side of the field, has made onside kicks impossible. So the new rules state that teams may only attempt an onside kick in the fourth quarter, and by notifying the officials before the play. The same rules then apply as in previous years — no more than five players on a side, and no running starts.
▪ Rule 15-2: More expedited reviews. When a ruling on the field is clearly incorrect, the NFL reserves the right to use an “expedited” review in lieu of the traditional instant replay process. The rule states that “an expedited review can occur without consultation with the referee,” and “the video will not be shared with the referee on the field.”
All instant replay decisions in 2024 — whether traditional or expedited — will be made by Mark Butterworth, a 25-year veteran of instant replay booths who takes over for Walt Anderson.
▪ Rule 7-4-2: Making the “cheat motion” a point of emphasis. It always has been a false start penalty when a receiver heads forward, upfield, before the snap. But the Dolphins took advantage of some gray area last year by putting Tyreek Hill in motion, and having him turn upfield simultaneously with the snap — or in some cases, a half-step before it.
The tactic worked so well that teams immediately copied it. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan called it a “cheat motion,” which must have gotten the competition committee’s attention.
Rule 7-4-2 now has additional verbiage: “Any eligible backfield player who changes his stance does not have to come to a complete stop prior to the snap, as long as his actions are not abrupt (false start) or forward (illegal motion).”
It’s more a clarification than a rule change, but officials will be watching closely to see if receivers in motion head upfield too early.
“Our head coach, he’ll find a way to make a way around that,” Hill said last month.
WELL RECEIVED
Lamb and Aiyuk got their money
Two significant contract negotiations got settled this past week when Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb and 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk agreed to new terms. Lamb is now the second-highest-paid receiver in the NFL behind Justin Jefferson at $34 million per year, while Aiyuk is tied for fifth at $30 million.
But three star players are still at odds with their teams. The most significant is arguably Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who has been “holding in” for most of training camp while he is under contract for $4.86 million this year and $21.8 million next year.
Chase returned to practice early this past week, and coach Zac Taylor said “yes” when asked if he is confident that Chase will play Week 1 against the Patriots. But a day later, Chase was back in street clothes during practice, and Taylor said, “I think I probably put my foot in my mouth speaking too quickly.”
If Chase is adamant about not playing without a new contract, this one has the potential to get ugly, given that owner Mike Brown has never been afraid to play hardball with his star players (ask Carson Palmer). Chase is a top-five receiver and crucial to the Bengals’ success, but he may be a year too early in asking for a new deal. Neither Jefferson nor Lamb got a new contract until he was set to play on his fifth-year option, which Chase won’t hit until 2025. But working in Chase’s favor is that he’s one of quarterback Joe Burrow’s best friends dating to their days at LSU, and the Bengals know they need to keep Burrow happy.
The 49ers still have work to do even after taking care of Aiyuk. Left tackle Trent Williams has held out of camp as he seeks a raise from $20.8 million to the top of the left tackle market, in the $28 million range. Williams has cost himself a couple million in fines, but it has gotten to the point that the 49ers need him back if they’re going to make a Super Bowl run.
“We value Trent, we love Trent, we want Trent here. And I’m hopeful that can happen soon,” general manager John Lynch said.
If Chase and/or Williams skip regular-season practices or games, they can be fined $45,769 per day plus missed game checks.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott probably won’t be getting a new contract this year, though, as he plays on the last year of his deal for $34 million. Owner Jerry Jones seems to want to put Prescott under pressure.
“Leave the carrot out there. Leave the incentive out there,” Jones said this past week.
Prescott said of the pressure, “You got to love it, you got to embrace it.” Prescott knows he’s going to get paid in 2025, by the Cowboys or otherwise, and a good year could send his next contract skyrocketing toward $60 million per year.
As for Lamb and Aiyuk, the Cowboys and 49ers got the deals done but made the mistake of not setting hard deadlines earlier this summer. Both got the money they wanted — Aiyuk even got more money than the 49ers offered this spring, as they misread the growing receiver market — and were able to skip all of camp. That’s a big win for the players and a loss for the teams, who dealt with the publicity headaches and now have star players who may not be completely ready for Week 1.
ETC.
Dolphins believe they have a keeper
The Dolphins hired coach Mike McDaniel on a four-year contract in 2022, and ripped it up after two years, an 20-14 record, and two playoff appearances. The Dolphins signed McDaniel to a new contract on Friday through the 2028 season that likely rewards him with a handsome pay raise in 2024.
The Dolphins hope that McDaniel’s extension works out better for him than it did for previous coaches. Since Don Shula retired after the 1995 season, after 26 years of continuity, they had eight coaches prior to McDaniel, none lasting more than 4½ seasons.
Joe Philbin got a one-year extension in 2015, and got fired after just four games. Tony Sparano got a two-year extension in 2011, and lasted only 13 games. Dave Wannstedt got an extra year tacked onto his contract, and got fired midway through 2004. Jimmy Johnson got a one-year extension through 2000, but retired after 1999.
Nick Saban (two years), Cam Cameron (one year), Adam Gase (three years), and Brian Flores (three years) didn’t get a second contract.
Technology will have to wait
For a league that grosses close to $25 billion in annual revenue, it’s remarkable that the NFL still uses sticks and chains to measure first downs. But the old-school method is still apparently better than computers.
In nine preseason games this year, the NFL experimented with “Hawk-Eye” replay technology, the same used in professional tennis that is able to quickly and accurately determine if a ball is in or out. But it was a dud for the NFL, with one measurement in the Lions-Giants game taking 3½ minutes to decide.
As first reported by the Washington Post, the NFL was considering using Hawk-Eye in 2024 if it worked; instead, it will continue to experiment with the technology and see if it will be ready for 2025. Last year, the NFL quietly experimented with it in stadiums in Miami, New York, and at the Super Bowl.
“I think that’s still an idea whose time is coming, to make sure that we’re accurately administrating where the ball is and that we can do so quickly and efficiently,” NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said. “After consideration, it’s not ready yet. We want to spend a little bit more time deliberating on it, which is the outcome which a lot of folks thought we’d end up.”
Extra points
The NFL seems to be sending a message to Tom Brady: Pick a lane, please. Brady is trying to have it all this year, working as Fox Sports’s No. 1 analyst but also trying to buy 10 percent of the Raiders, and possibly serve as a team executive. The NFL has never had a full-time broadcaster who also owns or works for a franchise, and placed significant restrictions on Brady as a result. Fox Sports did not respond to a request for comment but can’t be thrilled that its $375 million star broadcaster won’t be allowed to attend production meetings or speak with players and coaches, which is vital for announcers . . . The Bills announced that new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will call plays this year, which can’t be a good sign for coach Sean McDermott. With Joe Brady now fully in charge of the offense, and McDermott taking a step back from the defense, the Bills are positioned to move forward fairly seamlessly if owner Terry Pegula decides to fire McDermott during or after the season if the Bills don’t meet their lofty expectations . . . The Guardian Caps look silly and add a half-pound of weight to the helmet, but Colts tight end Kylen Granson said he’s going to wear it during the regular season. “At one point people thought seatbelts were [expletive] stupid,” he said this past week. This is the first year the NFL is allowing players to wear Guardian Caps during games, but the league is also trying to steer players away from them and toward better-testing helmets . . . Mac Jones beat out C.J. Beathard for the Jaguars’ backup QB job after leading the league with a 115.9 passer rating in the preseason. Jones completed 73 percent of passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns . . . Good for Bailey Zappe, who signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad after being released by the Patriots. He likely won’t see the field, but he found the league’s most stable organization after dealing with all kinds of drama in New England. Plus, Zappe might be able to beat out Carson Wentz for the backup job . . . The NFL awarded the Patriots and Dolphins international marketing rights in Brazil, so those teams will have an active presence at the NFL Experience this coming week in Sao Paulo for the league’s first game there between the Packers and Eagles . . . The NFL’s new private equity rules allow PE firms to not only buy up to 10 percent of a franchise, but also to own a piece of as many as six teams . . . JuJu Smith-Schuster signed for the minimum $1.21 million with the Chiefs, reducing the Patriots’ obligation to him by that much. The team still owes him $5.79 million this year . . . Of the nine quarterbacks drafted in 2022, only two are with their original teams, and they were the last two drafted — seventh-rounders Skylar Thompson (Dolphins) and the last pick of the draft, Brock Purdy (49ers). Purdy is clearly the best QB from that class, but second best is probably between Zappe and Sam Howell, who showed some promise in Washington last year and could replace Geno Smith this year in Seattle if Smith struggles.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.