The kickoff has gone through many changes over the years. Below is a chronology of revisions to the kickoff rules, which were handled by the college rules committee until the NFL adopted its own rulebook in 1932.
The 2024 rules were passed for one season only.
Contact
1945
Dead ball when recovered after fair-catch signal, unless touched by kicking team
1967
Receiver cannot signal for fair catch and block or initiate contact
1979
Prohibited blocking below the waist
2004
Dead ball when a fair-catch signal is made and caught or recovered by another receiver, unless first touched by kickers
2009
No wedge blocking of 3 or more players
2018
No contact 15 yards from kickoff spot until ball touches a player or the ground
2018
No 2-player blocking by deep players and no 2-man wedge blocks
2024
All players except the kicker and 2 deep receivers cannot move from formation until ball lands or is touched in the landing zone or end zone. Kicker can only advance to the 50 until it lands
Formation
1932
Receiving team may line up anywhere 10 yds from kick (NCAA changed this to 5, and NFL kept the original 10)
2006
A minimum of 4 kicking team players must be on both sides of the ball
2009
Kicking team must have on each side of the ball at least 3 players outside the hashmarks including 1 outside the numbers
2011
Kicking team players must be no more than 5 yards behind the ball
2018
Kicking team players must be no more than 1 yard behind the ball and no prekick motion
2018
Kicking team players must have 5 on either side of the ball, at least 2 between hashmarks and numbers, at least 2 outside numbers
2018
Receiving team must have 8 players within the “setup zone” (15-yd zone between 10-25 yards from the ball)
2018
Receiving team cannot exit the setup zone on either side until the ball touches the ground or a player
2021
Receiving team is permitted to have a 9th player in the setup zone at their option
2024
Receiving team must have at least 9 players in the setup zone (now between their 30-35) and all but 2 of them must be lined up on the 35.
2024
Receiving team must line up on each side with at least 1 player outside the numbers, at least 1 additional player anywhere outside of the hashmarks, and at least 1 inside the hashmarks; those not on the line cannot be inside the hashmarks
2024
Kicking team must have only 2 players in each outside zone (sideline to the numbers), only 2 players in each inside zone (numbers to hashmarks) and the remaining 2 players inside the hashmarks. Kicking team start line is the opponent’s 40, and must have a foot on the line.
Kickoff spot
1920
40-yard line
1924
50-yard line (1 season only, as a concession for disallowing dirt mounds as natural tees)
1925
40-yard line (53 seasons total)
1926
Safety kicks from the 20-yard line, instead of the offense running a scrimmage play 1st & 10 from their 30
1942
Must be on or inside hashmarks, not in a side zone
1974
35-yard line
1994
30-yard line (17 seasons)
2008
Kickoff must be made at the restraining line, removing an option to place anywhere behind
2011
35-yard line (33 seasons total, as of 2023)
2024
Kickoff must reach the landing zone inside the opponent’s 20-yard line or end zone
Touchbacks
1926
Kickoff out of bounds in the end zone is an automatic touchback
2016
Touchbacks on kickoffs go to the 25-yard line (for one season only)
2017
Touchback to the 25 extended 1 season
2018
Touchback to the 25 made permanent
2018
An untouched kick is a touchback when it touches the ground in the end zone
2023
A fair catch inside the 25-yard line is a touchback to the 25 (for 2023 season only)
2024
Touchback changes to 30 when the kick reaches the end zone in the air, 20 for all others
Kickoff out of bounds
1920
An out-of-bounds ball remains live until recovered or deemed unplayable by ground rules
1923
Kicking team may recover a live out-of-bounds ball beyond the goal line extended for a touchdown
1926
Any out-of-bounds ball is no longer live
1937
Receiving team ball at 35 yd line or out-of-bounds spot (previously 5 yds and rekick)
1938
Receiving team ball anywhere on 45 yd line, or 15 yards inbounds from the out-of-bounds spot
1939
If the kick touches the receiving team only, receivers ball at the out-of-bounds spot
1944
5-yard penalty and rekick (unless touched by receivers)
1984
Receivers can take the out-of-bounds spot on the 2nd consecutive kick out of bounds
1987
No rekick, except for 1 onside kick, receiving team ball 30 yards from spot of the kick
2003
Kicking team does not get a second onside kick chance inside of 5:00 of 4th quarter
2004
Period can be extended for a safety kick out of bounds
2009
Removed the onside kick exception entirely
2011
25 yds from kickoff spot (due to kickoff spot change, this is still typically the 40) and 30 yds on safety kicks
2024
Kicks short of the landing zone are penalized same as a kick out of bounds
Kicking tees
1924
“Natural tees” to elevate the ball with dirt were prohibited, as it was too time consuming; a teammate could hold the ball instead
1932
NFL reinstated the ability to use a natural tee with soil in the proximity of the kick location
1939
A natural tee is permitted to be no more than 3 inches of soil
1948
Flexible artificial tees are allowed
1954
No tee for a safety kick
1983
Natural tees prohibited
1994
1-inch tee height is standardized
2022
Rule interpretation issued that a holder cannot prop ball on high side of a tee
2024
A tee may be used for a safety kick
2024
In case of wind, a 12th player may hold the ball and exit the field immediately after the kick
2024
Rule interpretation issued that a teed ball cannot be placed horizontally on the top of the tee unless it is touching the ground
Foul enforcement
1941
Dead-ball personal fouls on scoring teams assessed on kickoff
1944
All fouls except for fair-catch interference are a rekick
1976
Fouls on the extra-point attempt against the defense can be assessed on the kickoff
1984
Limit of 1 rekick due to penalty on an onside kick
1993
On fouls by both teams, receivers can decline kickers’ foul and enforce theirs at the post-possession foul spot
2004
Offside can be enforced at the previous spot or the dead-ball spot
2006
Personal fouls and unnecessary roughness during halftime or in intermission before overtime are enforced on next kickoff
2006
All kicking team fouls can be enforced at the dead-ball spot
2009
No rekicks on illegal onside kicks
2010
End of half personal fouls and unnecessary roughness are enforced on next kickoff
2019
Penalties on a touchdown play may be enforced on the conversion attempt, instead of only enforced on the kickoff
2024
Penalties affect the kickoff spot, not the kicker’s formation line, setup zone, or landing zone
2024
Penalties on a touchdown are only enforced on the extra-point attempt, not the kickoff
2024
An onside kick is a dead ball beyond 25 yards
Shoes
1942
No detachable kicking toe
1969
Kicking shoes must be of standard production from manufacturer
1977
Kicking shoes for artificial limbs must have the kicking surface of a standard shoe
1986
Kicking shoe requirements clarified
Timing rules
1932
Fair catch is permitted on kickoffs
1990
Game clock runs on ready-for-play after a kickoff, except if <2:00/2nd, <5:00/4th, injury, or TV timeout
1991
Remove the 1990 rule, as clock starts on snap for any possession change
1995
Establish the 25-second clock procedure, winding when ball is handed to kicker and kickoff ready signal at about 10 seconds
2002
Run game clock when the ball touched in the field of play (no 2:00 exception)
2004
Period can be extended for a safety kick out of bounds
2024
Fair catch is not permitted on any kickoff
2024
Onside kicks can only be attempted in the 4th quarter by the trailing team and declared in advance
Note: All 2018 rules changes were for one year only, and made permanent in 2019.
Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref's Guide to the Official Rules (on sale now)
