NFL may replace onside kicks with 4th down plays
The Alliance of American Football flew too close to the sun and perished before the completion of its debut season, but it may have given a lasting gift to the NFL.
One AAF rule popular among viewers replaced traditional onside kicks with 4th-and-12 onside conversion attempts that allowed a club to retain possession by picking up a first down on a one-and-done attempt starting from its 25-yard line.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the NFL could soon adopt a similar rule:
Along with reducing risks that come with any football kickoff, these plays would add excitement to games and also ensure that a team's best offensive playmakers would decide if it kept possession of the football late in a close contest.
Pelissero added a team could only use this twice per game, and that onside kicks may not be completely abolished:
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