Report:49ers bringing in three……

NFL owners approved new rules for kickoffs in the upcoming season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. This comes one day after the league revealed several other rule changes that will begin this fall when players take the field.

Twenty-nine of the NFL’s 32 teams voted in favor of the rule changes, with the 49ers being among the three teams who disagreed with the proposed amendments, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

The other two teams voting against the proposed rule changes were the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders.

What exactly are the new kickoff rules? How do they impact the product on the field? And why did the league make these changes in the first place?

Last season marked the lowest kickoff return rate in NFL history, according to the league. So, the main goal with the revamped kickoff procedure was to encourage more kick returns while keeping the play safe.

With the new kickoff rules, the NFL is aiming to increase return rate while getting the injury rate closer to a traditional scrimmage play. Kickoffs long have had a higher injury rate for players due to the speed and distance traveled in such a short amount of time.

The new NFL kickoff rules will debut in the preseason this summer and be used throughout the 2024 regular season and playoffs.

Team owners and the competition committee have been meeting to discuss several topics for the upcoming season. Here are the confirmed changes for 2024: