Most fans know that putting 12 players on the field of play during a game is illegal in the NFL. However, for the 2024 season, there will be a situation where the NFL may allow teams to have one extra player on the field.
The addition of the 12th man is one of the aspects that will be coming with the introduction of the kickoff rule this year. NFL veteran referee John Hussey was in Kansas City on Saturday for Chiefs training camp and during his visit he explained the intricacies of the new kickoff rule.
It was during the media meeting that Hussey explained one situation where a 12th man would be legal for both teams. If the playing conditions are extremely windy and the ball won’t stay on the tee, the teams will be allowed to have an extra player to serve as the holder for kickoffs. However, the caveat is that the 12th man will not be allowed to participate further in the game after holding the ball for the kicker.
He quipped, “They can’t do anything.”
It would be strange to have an extra player on the field. For now, it’s not clear how it will look in practice – would the holder of the ball during kickoff rush off the field once the ball is kicked, or would the player have to stand there awkwardly? It will be interesting to see this new rule in action.
There is also one rule is that if a returner touches the ball while he has one foot outside the landing, then it will be considered an out-of-bounds ball.
Here is what Hussey said via espn.com, “Are they going to kick a line drive? Are they going to pooch the ball into the 20? Are they going to keep two receivers back? Move a 10th person up? There’s a lot we don’t know.”