A look at approved NFL rule changes for the 2024 season, and what they mean

ORLANDO - The NFL is changing a plethora of rules ahead of the 2024 season, ranging from its kickoff rules, to the number of challenges a team can have to the notorious "hip-drop" tackle.

Here's a look at the most important rule changes the NFL will implement in the 2024 season.

Amendment to Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1, to protect a club’s ability to challenge a third ruling following one successful challenge

This rule makes it so NFL coaches get a third challenge just by winning their first challenge.

Before, coaches had to win both their first two challenges to get a third. This season, coaches will have to just win one of their first two.

Amendment to Rule 14, Section 5, Article 2, to allow for an enforcement of a major foul by the offense prior to a change of possession in a situation where there are fouls by both teams

In a play that has a change of possession, major fouls, like unnecessary roughness, that were committed before the change of possession will be enforced.

Amendment to Rule 15, Section 3, Article 3, to include a ruling of a passer down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass as a reviewable play.

Amendment to Rule 15, Section 3, Article 9: Allowing a replay review when there is clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before any snap.

These two rules are all similar because they change what happens with NFL replay.

Now, NFL teams can:

• Review and correct "objectively" incorrect calls for both intentional grounding and roughing the passer.
• Review when there "clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before any snap" is present
• Review if a quarterback was down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass

How the NFL defines "objectively incorrect calls" this upcoming season will be something to monitor. 

Amendment to Rule 12, Section 2: to eliminate a potentially dangerous tackling technique.​

This is referred to as the "hip-drop" tackle. The NFL has said it results in an injury at 25 percent more than just a regular tackle.

The language the NFL used to describe the hip-drop tackle is when a tackler 1. Grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and 2. Unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee.

Reaction to this change wasn't well received by NFL defenders, and the NFL Player's Association openly disagreed with the rule.

"While the NFLPA remains committed to improvements to our game with health and safety in mind, we cannot support a rule change that causes confusion for us as players, for coaches, for officials and especially, for fans," the NFLPA said in a written statement.

Amendment to Rule 6 for one year only, to create a new form of a free kick play that is designed to: (1) resemble a typical scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed; and (2) promote more returns. Permits the Replay Official automatically review whether a free kick legally touched the ground or a receiving team player in the landing zone.

This is the change to NFL kickoffs, which changes, well, almost everything about kickoffs that we knew.

The Associated Press detailed these changes:

Standard kicks will still begin from the 35 but everything else will look different.

The 10 kick coverage players will line up at the opposing 40, with five on each side of the field.

The return team will have at least nine blockers lined up in the "set up zone" between the 30- and 35-yard line with at least seven of those players touching the 35. Up to two returners will be allowed inside the 20.

Only the kicker and two returners will be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a returner inside the 20.

Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback and possession at the 30. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone also will result in a touchback at the 30.

If a ball hits a returner or the ground before the end zone and goes into the end zone, a touchback will be at the 20 or the kick can be returned. Any kick received in the field of play must be returned.

If a kick goes out of bounds before the end zone or doesn't reach the landing zone, the return team gets the ball at the 40.

Under current rules, any touchback — or if a returner calls for a fair catch in the field of play — results in the receiving team getting the ball at its 25.

These changes were heavily inspired by the XFL in an effort to limit high-speed collisions while also encouraging more kick returns.

Amendment to Article XVI, Section 16.6 of the Constitution & Bylaws: NFL moves the trading deadline to the Tuesday after Week 9 games.

Thankfully, after the kickoff rules, this one is simple.

The Pittsburgh Steelers proposed the change, which moves the NFL trade deadline to Week 9. It was previously Week 8.

That's all, yet it's an important one considering the deal that happened at the deadline last season.

Amendment to Article XVII, Section 17.3, to expand the Standard Elevation rules to permit clubs to elevate a bona fide Quarterback an unlimited number of times from its practice squad to its Active List to be its Emergency Third Quarterback.

This rule affects the emergency third quarterbacks.

Before, the emergency quarterback had to be elevated from the 53-man roster only. Now, they can be elevated from the 53-man roster and the practice squad.

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