Fipp: Lions testing new strategies for kickoff rule change

The kickoff return has returned to the NFL, albeit with significant changes, and Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp mentioned that the team is currently exploring how to utilize the play on both offense and defense.

“There are many new aspects to consider. This time of year, we’re trying to experiment as much as possible,” Fipp stated. “We’re placing our players in various situations, experimenting with different schemes, field positions, alignments, and approaches to the play, both mentally and strategically.

“We’re essentially trying to figure out numerous elements. Each drill we conduct is slightly different, with various players in different roles.”

Detroit remains in the phase of gathering data and experimenting with how to approach kickoff coverage and returns.

To recap, the main points of the new rule are as follows:

– All coverage team members, except the kicker, must line up at the opponent’s 40-yard line.
– At least nine returning team players must be positioned between their own 30 and 35-yard lines, with seven players having at least one foot on the 35-yard line.
– No player besides the kicker and returners can move until the ball is caught or hits the ground.
– A football that reaches the end zone before hitting the ground results in the ball being placed at the 30-yard line.

Fipp, who identifies as a traditionalist regarding special teams, appreciates the league’s efforts to reintroduce the play with a focus on player safety.

The NFL aims to increase scoring after three consecutive seasons of decline, and field position is closely tied to scoring opportunities. Last season, nearly 80 percent of kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.