Ahead of the start of the 2025 season, the NFL could be in for some changes starting this week. At the owner’s meeting, important decisions were made regarding new playoff rules, “tush push”, and “onside kicks” — the central topics of discussion — and were voted on by the present members. These decisions could impact how games are conducted in this year’s season, and not everyone is happy about the changes.
Playoff format: More fairness or just aesthetic changes at the NFL?
First, it is important to understand how the playoffs classification system worked before pointing out the proposed change. Playoffs are made up of the winners of each division (North, South, East, and West) of the two conferences (NFC and AFC), alongside the remaining teams with the best records of the division games but which didn’t win their division.
Previously, the champion of each division automatically owned a home game, even if they had a worse record than the non-champion team. The proposed change is that homefield advantage can now be defined by the team’s entire performance throughout the season, not just by who won the title within each division.
The suggestion for this change came after many discussions over the years, that the system was unfair to some teams. Now, it brings more balance to the games, recognizing the efforts of the teams that stand out the most throughout the season. For NFL enthusiasts, this means that the upcoming clashes will be even more exciting in the new season, in addition to being fairer.
Tush push: Tactical genius or system failure?
The second topic discussed at the owners’ meeting was the “tush push”, a famous play, especially because of the Eagles, in which a quarterback is pushed by his teammates to gain a few yards on short third or fourth down situations.
Critics say that, according to experts, this play violates an ancient rule that’s been out of effect since 2005, which prohibits pushing or pulling a player in any direction. What was open to voting is whether or not this rule should return to practice. The topic was eventually debated, but the members at the meeting decided not to vote and, for now, to leave the decision on whether to keep the play as a tactic open. The NFL plans to monitor the new season before making a final decision.
This tactic divides opinions not only within the owners’ meeting but also among fans. Some people believe that “tush push” is a smart and decisive play on the field, while others believe that it makes the game “unappealing” and difficult to defend.
Oneside kick: Reinventing the celebration at the end of games
The “onside kick” is a type of kick used in a kickoff – a method of starting a play – or in a free throw during a game. Under current rules, a team can only attempt this kick in the fourth quarter of a game, and even then, it can only attempt it when losing. This tactic, which was intended to help the losing team continue its offense, has recently lost its effectiveness due to changes in safety rules.
With this in mind, the third topic of discussion at the owners’ meeting was to discuss the possibility of, instead of the kick, the team being able to attempt an offensive play during any period of the game. This proposal was approved by the NFL in the vote and will be tested in the new season.
In addition to the technical issues surrounding these decisions, the changes result in an NFL that always seeks to renew itself, balancing the sport’s tradition with interest, in addition to maintaining the integrity of football and being fair to the two teams on the field.
