▪ The kicker will still kick from his 35-yard line, but the other 10 players will line up on the opponent’s 40. The receiving team will have nine players lining up between its 30-35, meaning there will only be 5-10 yards of space between 19 of 22 players. This could eliminate most high-speed collisions.

▪ The new rules create a landing zone, which is between the goal line and 20-yard line. Any kick that hits in the landing zone must be returned. The 19 players aligned in the field can’t move until the ball hits a player or the ground in the landing zone. The receiving team must have two returners aligned in the landing zone who can move at any time. The kicker can’t cross the 50 until the ball hits in the landing zone.

▪ The NFL hopes that requiring two returners to align in the landing zone will create more returns. “The special teams coaches did a great job of showing us that putting one returner back there would lead to too many games, and too many [kickers] trying to do things with the football,” McKay said.

▪ The new rules will effectively have three levels of touchbacks. A kickoff that flies out of the end zone, or is downed in the end zone after reaching it on the fly, is a touchback to the 35. This is to encourage kickers to keep the ball within the field of play.

▪ A kickoff that hits the ground in the landing zone, rolls into the end zone, and is downed will be a touchback to the 20. This is to encourage the receiving team to return kicks.

▪ A kickoff that hits short of the landing zone will be treated the same as a kickoff out of bounds. The play will be immediately blown dead and the ball will be placed on the 40. A source involved said this is to discourage kickers from hitting line drives that would bounce into the end zone.

“If the kick doesn’t make it to the 20 it comes out to the 40, so it’s a big risk-reward,” the source said. “You’re trying to encourage regular kickoffs between the goal line and the 10 so the play doesn’t look sloppy.”

▪ The fair catch would be outlawed on kickoffs. Last year’s rule, which allowed for a touchback to the 25 on any fair catch, would be scrapped.

▪ Because of the formation rules, the surprise onside kick would also be scrapped. In this proposal, teams would only be allowed to attempt an onside kick in the fourth quarter if trailing, and must inform the officials beforehand. The league’s previous rules governing onside kicks would remain.

▪ Safety punts would remain at the 20, but the landing zone and player alignment would remain the same.