Trump Criticizes NFL’s Dynamic Kickoff at Iowa Rally

Donald Trump criticized the NFL’s dynamic kickoff during a campaign appearance in Iowa, saying he finds the play unappealing and starts watching games about two minutes after kickoff to avoid it. He also urged colleges not to adopt the format. The NFL introduced the redesigned kickoff for the 2024 season. Under the rule, players are restricted from moving until the ball reaches specified areas or is touched, limiting the running starts that characterized the previous format. The league said the change was intended to reduce high-speed collisions and encourage more returns. Trump described the kickoff as unglamorous and said the league should return to a format in which players run downfield as the ball is kicked. His comments were directed at Iowa, Iowa State and other colleges as well as the NFL. His remarks expressed his view of the play’s entertainment value; they do not establish whether the rule has made the game safer or less enjoyable for fans generally. The NFL reported that the proportion of kickoffs returned increased from 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% in 2024. It also reported a 57% increase in the number of returns in 2024, a different measure from the return rate. In...