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2025 NFL Regular Season Begins with a Tweak to Kickoff Rules, Other Changes in Rules and Officiating

Thursday, the NFL opens the 2025 season with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys in primetime at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, as all 32 teams begin the year with renewed outlooks.
Driven by safety concerns, the league reworked kickoff rules to reduce injuries and encourage more returns, with NFL owners voting 29-3 to adopt the current dynamic kickoff and reporting a 43% drop in concussions on returns last year.
Replay officials now can overturn more penalty calls with clear video evidence, and the NFL installed six 8K Hawk‑Eye cameras in each stadium for precise first‑down measurements.
As a result of the tweak, the league projects kickoff return rates will rise to between 60 and 70 percent with touchbacks placed at the 35, while the regular‑season overtime adjustment guarantees both teams a possession.
Despite safety debates, owners kept the Eagles' tush push short-yardage play legal after a ban proposal fell two votes short, while 2024 experimental kickoff data showed returns increased nearly 40%.

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2025 NFL regular season begins with a tweak to kickoff rules, other changes in rules and officiating

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