NFL teams vote down fourth-and-20 onside kick alternative
NFL teams have once again voted down an alternative to the onside kick.
The Eagles' proposal to allow teams to line up their offense on the field on fourth-and-20, instead of kicking off, was rejected today in a vote at the league meeting.
Under the Eagles' proposal, teams that scored a touchdown or field goal could have followed it by taking the ball at their own 20-yard line, facing a fourth-and-20. If the scoring team converted the fourth-and-20, it would keep the ball and go from there.
NFL rules have made onside kicks almost impossible to recover, and the kickoff itself has undergone major changes, and so an onside kick alternative has become a common topic for rule proposals every offseason. But every time this particular proposal for an onside kick alternative comes up, it goes nowhere.
Competition Committee Chairman Rich McKay said more onside kick alternatives will be discussed in the future.
“There will be another date and time for that discussion. There’s no question the traditionalists don’t like that discussion," McKay said.
The bigger issue facing the NFL is what to do with the kickoff itself, as the league is considering a radical change toward the low-impact kickoff rule previously seen in the XFL. Once the league decides what the kickoff rules will be for the 2024 season, it may look again at onside kick rules. But for now, no alternatives to the onside kick are being adopted.
