The new form of the dynamic kickoff is already having a significant impact on kickoff returns in the 2025 season, with rates in the first five weeks more than doubling compared with the first five weeks of the 2024 season.
The dynamic kickoff, first introduced in the 2024 season, is designed to promote more returns and resemble a play from scrimmage with players lining up closer together, restricting movement to reduce space and speed between the kicking and return teams.
See the dynamic kickoff rule explainer for more detail.
There have been 806 kickoffs in the first five weeks of the 2025 season (787 dynamic kickoffs and 19 onside kicks).
Dynamic Kickoffs League-Wide | ||
Total |
Pct of Kickoffs |
|
Touchbacks |
124 |
15.8% |
Kickoff Returns |
640 |
81.3% |
Kick Out of Bounds/Short of Landing Zone |
23 |
2.9% |
The average starting field position for all drives after receiving a dynamic kickoff has been the receiving team’s own 29.4-yard line. This season's kickoff return rate has more than doubled the rate from Weeks 1-5 in the 2024 season.
Kickoff Return Rate Compared with 2024 (Weeks 1-5) | ||
2024 |
2025 |
|
Dynamic Kickoffs |
783 |
787 |
Touchback Pct. |
68.1% |
15.8% |
Kickoff Return Pct. |
30.8% |
81.3% |
Through Week 5, the 2025 season has seen increases in points per drive, scoring drive percentage and touchdown drive percentage league-wide on drives after receiving a dynamic kickoff.
Drive Stats for Last 3 Seasons (Excludes Drives After Opp Onside Kick) |
|||
Category |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Average Field Position |
25.1 |
29.6 |
29.4 |
Points Per Drive |
1.78 |
2.02 |
2.12 |
Scoring Drive Pct |
33.2% |
37.9% |
39.9% |
TD Drive Pct |
19.7% |
22.6% |
23.3% |
Before the start of the 2025 season, the NFL implemented two key updates to the kickoff rules:
Learn more about the all rule changes for the 2025 season, including the dynamic kickoff updates.
Check out this year’s dynamic kickoff coaches roundtable to hear how NFL Coaches expect the rule to impact the game throughout the rest of the season.