The 2024 NFL season kicks off next Thursday, and there are some big rule changes coming, especially around kickoffs, the "hip-drop tackle," and plays that can be reviewed.

Over the years, the kickoff has become one of the most injury-prone plays in the game, with players on both sides being three to five times more likely to get hurt due to the high-speed collisions, according to NFL stats. Because of this, last season had the fewest kickoff returns in NFL history, with only 21% of all kickoffs being returned, turning what used to be an exciting part of the game into something pretty boring.

But back in May, the NFL announced some changes to make kickoffs exciting again without increasing injury risks.

With the new rules, the kicker will do the kickoff from the 35-yard line, while his 10 teammates will line up on the opponent’s 40-yard line. The receiving team will have at least nine guys between their 35 and 30-yard lines ready to return the kick, while two others wait in the back. The idea is that this short distance—between five and 10 yards—will reduce the speed of the collisions.

No one on either side can move until one of the two guys in the "landing zone" (which is between the 1 and 20-yard lines) catches the ball to return the kick. If the kickoff doesn’t go past the 20-yard line or goes out of bounds before that, the receiving team will start their drive at their own 40-yard line.

If the ball goes out of the end zone or sideline, the receiving team will start at the 30-yard line. And if the ball bounces in the "landing zone" and rolls into the end zone, the offense will start at their 20-yard line. According to Rich McKay, CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and a member of the NFL Competition Committee, these new rules should lead to between 50% and 60% of kickoffs being returned in the 2024 season.

One big change is that those short, quick-recovery kicks that teams would try will now only be allowed in the fourth quarter, and only if the team trying it is losing.

Another rule change aimed at reducing injuries is banning the "hip-drop tackle," where a defender grabs the ball carrier from behind by the waist and drops their weight while twisting to bring them down. This move poses a big risk to the ball carrier’s ankles and knees. According to Jeff Miller, an NFL executive, this tackle led to 15 players suffering serious lower-body injuries in the 230 times it was used during the 2023 season.

In the 2024 season, using this tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. As for play reviews, there are two new things added this year, though they’ll be at the referees’ discretion. The first is about the time a quarterback has to throw the ball or determining if he was down before he threw it.

And the second is that teams will get a third challenge for a questionable play review if they successfully win at least one of the two challenges they start with.