NRL exploring kick-off rule change for 2025

Reports have emerged that the NRL are considering a rule change for kick offs as early as the 2025 season.

In the proposal, teams who kick the ball past the opposition’s 20-metre line will be penalised with defending a seven-tackle set. The rule aims to reduce the amount of head injuries as a result of collisions from a kick-off.

SEN’s Andrew Voss and Greg Alexander conceded that something had to be done in order to curb the rise in head knocks but said the potential rule change was too drastic.

“The NRL have obviously thought about bringing in a penalty to encourage teams (to have a short kick-off) which does reduce the chances of players being knocked out,” Alexander said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.

“There is no doubt that the kick-off is a problem. Collisions from a kick-off is a problem for the game because there were a spate of them very early on.

“We had four or five players knocked out early in the season. The NRL needed to introduce something to encourage the teams to kick short.

“It would be interesting to see whether an extra tackle will be enough of a deterrent for teams to kick long.

“My first reaction is that it won’t change teams’ mentality,” Voss explained on SEN 1170 Breakfast.

“You’ll still see teams go with a long kick-off and are prepared to concede a seven-tackle set because they want the opposition under pressure.

“They’ll be returning the ball deep on their line and it could be when they are chasing points.

“I still think that teams will kick long more than they will short given field position, pressure, fatigue and trying to force an error.

“It’s worth conceding an extra tackle.”