The league will take up the debate again later this spring
The NFL is making some big changes for the 2025 season, all aimed at improving player safety, making the game fairer, and giving teams more flexibility. At this year’s NFL owner’s meeting league officials approved several updates to the rules, bylaws, and policies that will shape how games are played and how teams operate.
‘Tush Push’ will remain
A proposal to ban the ‘Tush Push’ was tabled until a later date on Tuesday. The proposal by the Green Bay Packers will be discussed again at the next league meeting in mid-May.
NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay explained during a Tuesday interview on NFL Network that player health and safety was part of the conversation surrounding the play, but it was not the only factor ownership considered.
“There were discussions of, ‘Hey, this just doesn’t feel like traditional play. This isn’t what football was invented to be. This feels a little more rugby. We’re worried about health and safety,’” McKay said.
“I think it will be an interesting discussion [in May],” McKay said. “I think what we’ll try to do is make sure that we do a good historical study on what has been, and then I think we will try to have some conversation as a committee and then as a membership going into May to understand where people stand.”
Major rule changes for 2025
One of the biggest changes is the permanent adoption of the revamped kickoff format, which was first introduced in 2024. The new setup places players closer together to cut down on high-speed collisions while also encouraging more returns. Another key tweak: kickoff touchbacks will now be spotted at the 35-yard line instead of the 30, giving returners more incentive to bring the ball out of the end zone.
The NFL is also making overtime the same in both the regular season and playoffs. Now, no matter what happens on the first possession, both teams will get a chance with the ball. In regular season games, overtime will still be capped at 10 minutes.
Additionally, Instant Replay officials will have a little more say this season. They can now assist referees with objective calls and game management decisions if there’s clear and obvious video evidence.
