Trump Blasts NFL’s Kickoff Rules in Post Super Bowl Message

President Donald Trump appears to have had a great time at Super Bowl 59, but as the dust settled on Philly’s big win, the president did have one gripe about the league’s changes to its kickoff rules.

With Eagles fans dancing in the stands at Caesars Superdome and all across America, Trump turned to his Truth Social account to bash the NFL’s rules

“The worst part of the Super Bowl, by far, was watching the Kickoff where, as the ball is sailing through the air, the entire field is frozen, stiff. College Football does not do it, and won’t! Whose idea was it to ruin the Game?” he wondered.

The new “Dynamic Kickoff” rules, implemented in March 2024, were meant to increase returns and promote safety.

Here is what the rule is supposed to do:

• Kickers will kick off from their own 35-yard line. The 10 other players from the kicking team will line up on the opposing team’s 40-yard line.
• The receiving team will have at least nine players line up in the “setup zone” between the 35- and 30-yard lines. Two returners will be stationed in a landing zone, from the 20-yard line to the goal line.
• No players (except the kicker and returners) can move until the ball is received by a returner.
• Returners can return the football wherever it lands.
• A touchback at the 20-yard line would occur if the ball touches the ground or player in the landing zone, rolls beyond the goal line and downed in the end zone.
• A touchback could occur at the 30-yard line if the ball goes out of bounds behind the receiving team’s goal line, if it strikes the goalpost, or lands at or beyond the goal line and downed in the end zone.

It appears that returns did increase after the change. According to the NFL, there was a nearly 33 percent increase in returns during the 2024 regular season.

But many fans still don’t like the rule. And Trump is one of them.

This is not the first time Trump has questioned the league’s kickoff rules.

In September of last year he blasted the rules, saying, “I can’t believe the NFL is effectively getting rid of the always exciting Kick Off Return. Such an exciting part of Football. What are they doing? BEGINNING OF THE END!”

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