In years past, special teams periods of training camp practices have been ideal opportunities for fans at Grand Park to hit a bathroom or concession stand. The offense and defense are off the field, taking a break from those competitive one-on-one, seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 periods of practice.
But you might need to plan your bathroom breaks differently this year – or work on holding it until the end of practice.
The Colts, like every other NFL team, will work through strategies and personnel to adapt to the league's new kickoff rule – one which this spring Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason emphasized "is a very big change."
This is the pertinent info you need for how kickoffs will look – or watch the video at the top of this article. From the NFL:
- All kicking team players other than the kicker will line up with one foot on the receiving team's B40 yard line
- Kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line until ball touches the ground or player in landing zone or end zone
- The 10 kicking team players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or player in the landing zone or the end zone
- The receiving team will line up as follows:
- Setup Zone – a 5-yard area from the B35 to the B30 yard line where at least 9 receiving team players must line up
- At least 7 players with foot on the B35 yard line (restraining line) with alignment requirements (outside numbers, numbers to hashes, and inside hashes)
- Players not on the restraining line must be lined up in setup zone outside the hash marks
- All players in the setup zone cannot move until the kick has hit the ground or a player in the landing zone or the end zone
- A maximum of 2 returners may line up in the landing zone and can move at any time prior to, or during, the kick
- Setup Zone – a 5-yard area from the B35 to the B30 yard line where at least 9 receiving team players must line up
Got all that? (The video at the top of this article might help.) Effectively, kickoffs will become some sort of cross between a traditional kick return, a punt return and an offensive play.
"There are definitely going to be some aspects that end up being like a punt return," Mason said. "I think there was less space in the XFL so that even more became like a confined-space punt return. This could potentially, depending on how it plays out, have a little bit more space. I think initially, it could start off somewhat similar to a kickoff, kickoff return rep but then quickly transition into more of like a punt return type of coverage rep. I certainly think, as you look at returners, there could be less space, right? It's going to be a little bit different than your traditional kickoff return rep where the kickoff returner might have had a bunch of space to be able to build up speed and be able to make his cuts. There could be a lot more confined space, punt return, punt returner-type of cuts and moves that are made. You look at more running backs or punt returners being used in some of those positions."
But here's why this will be fascinating to watch: Nobody's really been able to practice it yet.
Mason and the Colts built out the foundation for how they want to scheme kick returns and coverage during OTAs, but because contact is prohibited until training camp, getting true practice reps during the spring wasn't possible. And that means all 32 teams are going to begin from the same starting point during training camp before veering off in their own directions ahead of the 2024 season.
"It's certainly going to happen fast when we get into training camp and the preseason as everybody adapts off each other and sees what everybody else is doing with it," Mason said. "Certainly, that will make some things entertaining for sure."
The Colts selected Oregon State wide receiver Anthony Gould in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft in part because of his All-American punt returning skills. Cornerback Dallis Flowers had a handful of explosive kick returns as a rookie in 2022, including an 89-yarder against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wide receiver Josh Downs had a handful of punt and kick returns last year, while wide receiver Ashton Dulin has some kick return experience.
"We're really excited about getting Dallis Flowers back healthy, we're really excited about getting Anthony to join us, getting Ashton Dulin back healthy," Mason said. "I think once we can get the guys that we had to start training camp last year back healthy and get Anthony to join that group, we're starting to get a really good group of returners that can help make a difference. I think Anthony being one of the top punt returners in college football is really exciting to get him to join our group. That skillset, which is kind of like what we talked about, is something that we can use in the new kickoff model."
More than anything, though, these special teams periods during training camp – especially in the Colts' two joint practices with the Arizona Cardinals – will be critical sessions for figuring out how this is all going to look once September rolls around.
"The thing that is exciting is we just created opportunities for more plays, more tackles, more returns, more excitement in the game. We love that," Mason said. "Obviously, there's more to scheme and what we're going to do. From a rules standpoint, we just have to see how things are going to adapt as we go."
