CLEVELAND, Ohio — There will be further changes to the NFL rulebook in 2025.
During the NFL’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, the owners voted and approved some changes ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
From a slight tweak in the overtime format, to adding influence to replay assist, and placing the ball farther up after a kickoff touchback.
There’s also a potential rule change still in air relating to the “tush-push,” but that is tabled for the moment.
Overtime
From now on, both teams will receive a possession in overtime during the regular season.
It’s pretty much the same overtime format used this past postseason, but will now apply to the regular season as well.
For a long time, overtime periods were 15 minutes long and whoever scored first won the game.
The overtime period was shortened to 10 minutes in 2017. In terms of possessing the ball, whoever scored first won the game, but an even bigger change came in 2022.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round in 2022, in a 42-36 overtime win. It was a classic back-and-forth between the squads, until Kansas City won the coin toss and scored first in overtime.
Because Buffalo didn’t get a chance to answer back due to the rules, this led to another overtime change, in which both teams could possess the ball if a touchdown wasn’t scored on the first possession.
Fast forward to present day, and both teams will have a chance to even the score in overtime.
Replay assist
Another rule change for the 2025 NFL season relates to penalties being subject to replay review.
There will be an on-site replay official to help reverse penalties thrown for hits on a defenseless player, facemask grabs, and running or roughing the kicker.
However, this comes with a backend thought.
Penalties for those infractions can only be reviewed if officials throw a flag on the play. So if a coach disagrees with a flag, they can challenge and potentially overturn the call.
But if no official throws a flag, it can’t be challenged.
Touchbacks
Kickoff touchbacks will now be placed at the 35-yard line. In 2024, kickoff touchbacks resulted in placing the ball at the 30-yard line.
The base of the kickoff rules dates back to increasing returns and decreasing injuries.
Ahead of the 2024 season, the NFL decided to implement a “landing zone” between the receiving team’s goal line and its 20-yard line on kickoffs. And a “set up zone” is between the receiving team’s 35 and 30.
Kickoffs were returned at a 32.8% rate in 2024, which was much higher than the record-low 21.7% in 2023, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
With touchbacks placing the ball at the 35-yard line, kickoff returns are projected to rise between 60-70%.
Measuring first downs
Though it was spoken about prior, the NFL officially announced its intent to implement the Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system, to measure first downs.
The chain crew will remain on the sideline as backup.
The system was tested during preseason games last season, but the NFL decided against regular season use at that point.
In an age of electronic evolution, there had been some criticism over the NFL using an “eye-test” when measuring a first down. And, it was this way for the first 105 years of the NFL ... until now.
Going forward, an official will still spot the ball, but technology will determine if the ball reached the first down marker or not.
Potential addition
The “tush-push” sneak sits in the middle between being banned or legal.
There were 16 teams who supported a potential ban, but nothing has been established at the moment.
It’s consistently been a popular topic in the NFL, for better or worse.
Popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s simply a quarterback sneak used to gain the first down in short-yardage situations.
But it comes with an extra push from teammates behind the quarterback, along with a firm offensive line creating an open hole for the first down.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts holds 55 career rushing touchdowns, but 43 of them have come with 1-3 yards needed.
Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.