The NFL has adopted the XFL’s kickoff rule, and the Detroit Lions are thrilled about it.

On Tuesday, the NFL adopted and approved a new, drastic kickoff rule change. The new rule is largely based off of the XFL kickoff, which places everyone but the kicker nearly all the way down the field before the ball is kicked.

The rule is aimed at bringing back the kickoff, which had a record-high percentage of touchbacks last year, while also trying to improve player safety on what has been one of the more dangerous plays in the sport.

Here are the important parts of the rule (you can see the lengthy rulebook here):

• There is now a “Kickoff Team’s Restraining Line” which forces everyone but the kicker on the kicking team to be 25 yards ahead of the kick—or the opponent’s 40-yard line on a normal kickoff from the 35-yard line. Each of those players must have their front foot on the line, the other foot on the ground, and they cannot move downfield until the kickoff is either caught or touches the ground.
• There is a “Receiving Team’s Restraining Line” which is 5 yards beyond the kickoff team’s restraining line. Their own 35-yard line on a normal kickoff. The receiving team cannot advance beyond that until the ball is received or hits the ground.
• There is a “setup zone” for the receiving team—where nine players from the receiving team must stay until the ball is received or hits the ground. That area is between the receiving team’s restraining line and 5 yards behind it. Or between the 30 and 35-yard line on normal kickoffs.
• “Normal” touchbacks result in the ball being placed at the 30-yard line
• A touchback that bounces in the “landing zone” (goal line to the 20-yard line) and goes into the end zone puts the ball at the 20-yard line

Here’s what it looks like:

And here’s what it looked like in practice in the XFL:

The Detroit Lions came out publicly in huge favor of the new kickoff rules. The main concern most seemed to have of the rule change was simply that it was drastic and there are a lot of unknowns, including potential harmful consequences. (As a result, the rule is in place for a one-year trial period.)

However, Lions coach Dan Campbell is not only welcoming the challenge of the unknown, but he’s thrilled about the endeavor.

“What I think has gotten a lot of people spooked a little bit is the unknown of it, and that’s what excites me,” Campbell said. “(Special teams coordinator Dave) Fipp and I already have been back there watching all these XFL clips, and you’re looking at different body types, and returners, and you’re looking at scheme. So I think that’s the unknown is what the coaching is for. You get to mess with it. You get to tinker with it. You figure out what’s the best way to do it. How do you do it? So I’m excited about it.”

The Lions are also happy with kickoffs becoming a huge part of the game again. With the low kickoff return rate over the past few years, a big chunk of special teams was essentially getting phased out. But both Campbell and team president Rod Wood didn’t want to see that happen.

“(The new rule change) gives us a chance to play special teams, you know?” Campbell said. “What happened last year, you really felt like that took a significant number of plays out of the game, and those were from special teams. You don’t really make it up anywhere else. And so just we put an emphasis on it. I believe in it.”

“We have a good special teams coach, we focus on special teams,” Wood said. “I think it’s an opportunity to scheme up something that maybe could be an advantage.”

So there’s a big change coming to special teams in 2024, but the Lions are prepared to embrace it—and excited for it, too.