New NFL Rule Changes: Breaking Down the Kickoff, Overtime, and Replay Overhauls in 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jay Canale | Last updated Apr 1, 2025 2:07 PM ET

This week is the NFL’s annual meeting of the minds in Palm Beach, FL. Owners, top executives, and head coaches all attend a summit each offseason and look into various matters around the league.

Multiple rule changes have been proposed over the last few weeks, all with varying levels of potential impact on the game.

For instance, the Green Bay Packers proposed to ban the “tush push”, an idea that was reportedly gaining some traction throughout the week.

Another was the proposed change to the overtime rules for regular season games, allowing both teams a chance on offense.

There were also amendments proposed to the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff rule. The dynamic kickoff began last season but didn’t have the impact that the league anticipated.

Here is a list of the major proposals that were upheld and an explanation of their impact on the game for this upcoming season.

The first change that was passed was to allow both teams to possess the ball in overtime in regular season games. The new overtime period was originally proposed to be 15 minutes, but owners decided to keep it to 10. This rule was originally amended in 2022 to allow both teams a possession in overtime, but only for postseason games.

With seeding being so important for postseason success in the NFL, a fair shake in regular season games is essential. With 16 regular season games going to overtime in 2024 according to CBS Sports, this is a situation that occurs often enough to change the rule.

The next rule amendment fans can get excited about is the change to the new dynamic kickoff, with a touchback being moved to the 35-yard line rather than the 30. The NFL believes the kickoff return rate will rise to between 60% and 70% due to this change, according to competition committee chairman Rich McKay.

The dynamic kick rule began in the 2024 NFL season, but teams were more willing to keep returners out of play than initially anticipated. With an extra five yards on touchbacks, the NFL believes teams are more incentivized to give returners a chance to, well, return it.

The last major rule amendment was to change the NFL’s on-site replay system. The replay official will be allowed to reverse penalties that are hits to defenseless players and flags for face masks, horse collars, and roughing the kicker. The replay official will not be allowed to call penalties themselves, however, so it’s still on the refs to call them in the first place.

A 75% majority vote was required for rule changes to pass.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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