PALM BEACH, Fla. — NFL owners voted on several changes on Tuesday at the league’s annual meeting, but the tush push wasn’t one of them.
The tush push vote has been tabled for a later date. Owners had been expected to vote on the controversial play on Tuesday after the Green Bay Packers proposed banning the play. There appeared to be growing momentum for a potential ban.
A vote on the tush push could come during meetings next month.
The play is similar to a quarterback sneak, but two offensive players line up behind the QB and then push him forward after he snaps the ball to create momentum to gain a first down. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has scored at least 13 rushing touchdowns from the tush push the last three seasons.
Among the rules the owners did vote on Tuesday was making the dynamic kickoff permanent while also modifying it.
The dynamic kickoff will now place the ball at the 35-yard line after touchbacks.
The league owners also tweaked the regular-season overtime period to mirror postseason rules.
Last season, the NFL introduced the dynamic kickoff on a one-year trial basis to in an effort to revive kickoffs, which had become dormant because the league had emphasized player health and safety. The one-year run with the dynamic kickoff proved to be a success.
There were 332 more kickoff returns, which increased from a 21.8% return rate to 32.8%, according to the NFL. The league also saw 59 big-play returns (40 or more yards) last season, the highest number since the 2016 season.
The NFL wants to discourage teams from kicking the ball into the end zone by placing it at the 35-yard line after touchbacks. This will likely lead to more kickoffs starting next season. Outside of putting the ball on the 35-yard line after touchbacks, the dynamic kickoff rules will remain the same.
Kickoffs are still from the 35-yard line, and 10 players on the kicking team other than the kicker will line up at the opposing team’s 40-yard line. The returning team lines up with at least seven players in what is called the “set-up zone,” which is a five-yard area between the receiving team’s 35- and 30-yard lines. A maximum of two returners can be in the landing zone.
When the ball is kicked, the kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line, and the 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball is either returned, hits the ground or goes into the end zone.
In addition to moving touchbacks to the 35-yard line, both teams will now possess the ball in overtime during the regular season, even if the offensive team scores a touchdown on their first possession. The Eagles submitted the proposal, which was passed on Tuesday. The initial proposal called for regular overtime to be increased from 10 to 15 minutes, like the postseason, but the league amended that.
Owners also approved a proposal to expand the league’s replay-assist system. The on-site replay official can now overturn penalties for hits to defenseless players, facemask fouls, horse-collar tackles, tripping, and running into/roughing the kicker. The replay official is not permitted to throw a flag for a play for which no penalty was thrown.