NFL owners have voted to change the league's kickoff rule, officially mandating that kickoffs will now come from the 35-yard line rather than the 30. According to NFL.com, other parts of the rule that were being considered for changes have been left intact. That means touchbacks will still be brought out to the 20-yard line and a two-man blocking wedge will still be allowed.
The league also voted to allow replay officials to review all scoring plays without the need for a coaches challenge. Coaches will still be allowed a third challenge if they win their first two.
We discussed the possibility of this change occurring the other day, and most of you (68 percent) voted against it in our poll. There is no doubt this will increase the percentage of touchbacks, with roughly half of the league's kickers averaging more than 65 yards on their kickoffs. It does not, of course, completely eliminate the kickoff as a live play. It will, however, limit the number of times we get to witness one of the game's most exciting, and completely unscripted, moments.