All the NFL owners had one of their yearly meetings yesterday, where they voted on potential rule changes for the 2025 season.
As of this week, three new changes have been approved, while one potential rule was pushed until next month, and that was the rush push.
New Overtime Rule
Overtime will look different in the NFL next season.
NFL owners passed a rule that will allow both teams to possess the ball in overtime, matching the rules in place for the postseason.
Could the new overtime rules even the scales for teams? pic.twitter.com/jen24V4YTR
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) April 1, 2025
The original proposal was for a 15-minute period, but that was bumped down to 10 minutes for regular season games.
I’m not a huge fan of this change. I like the fact that sure both teams will get a chance to touch the ball before the playoffs, but I think if the defense can’t stop the first team from going 80 yards for a touchdown, you deserve to lose.
Of course, I’d enjoy this if the Dallas defense allowed a team to score a touchdown first, but I still think you should deserve a loss if you can’t stop a team one time.
Touchback
The NFL owners voted to move the touchback to the 35-yard line, up from the 30-yard line, in 2024.
Doing so adds hope they have more action to the kickoffs. Injury rates improved with the dynamic kickoff, and the NFL aims to have it become more of an exciting play.
The NFL has approved a modified kickoff rule change, though there have been no changes to the on-sides kick rules yet. Those will be considered later.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 1, 2025
For the Dallas Cowboys, this is good news. Now teams might not want to give those yards away and will allow Turpin, one of the best weapons this team has to do what he does best.
In three years in the league, Turpin has become a two-time Pro Bowler and was named first-team All-Pro in 2024.
He led the league with 904 kick return yards and had a 99-yard touchdown return against the Washington Commanders.
The league’s internal data shows a 65% to 75% return rate if the touchback is moved to the 35, more than double the rate in the 2024 season.
First Downs
The NFL is making a major shift in measuring first downs as the league will now use camera-based technology in 2025 instead of chains.
The chain crew will still be on the sidelines in a secondary capacity.
Breaking: The method for measuring first downs in the NFL will switch from chain gangs to camera-based technology in 2025, the league announced.
The traditional chain crew will remain on the sidelines in a secondary capacity. pic.twitter.com/7UuXMV1Fdx
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 1, 2025
I’m perfectly fine with what they are doing here. I think the chain gang first took too long, and it seemed like they did not get the best read on the ball.
Not only does it change that, they also approved help with five new penalties that can now be overturned by the booth:
Hitting a defenseless player, face mask, horse-collar tackle, tripping and, roughing/running into the kicker.
I am always a fan of getting calls right, and that is the most important thing.
They should let the booth honestly overturn anything that they don’t get correct on the field. If that helps get the right calls and not screw teams over, that is what matters.
Others
As I noted above the tush push that everyone hates got moved back until May.
The only reports that are out say the NFL decided Tuesday to delay a potential ban on the controversial play.
The NFL needs 24 of 32 team owners to support or deny a rule change, but it’s unclear how teams sided on the issue.
It will be revisited again during another set of league meetings in May.
I think the play is a joke, and yes, I understand the argument is just learning how to stop it. Well, it is a play that only the offense can use to their advantage and not the defense.
I am okay with the other changes above, we will see how things shake out.