NFL rules have made onside kicks almost impossible to recover, and the kickoff itself has undergone major changes, and so an onside kick alternative has become a common topic for rule proposals every offseason.
This year, the Eagles are proposing a rule that would allow teams that score a touchdown or field goal to follow it up by taking the ball at their own 20-yard line, and being faced with a fourth-and-20. If the scoring team converted the fourth-and-20, it would keep the ball and go from there.
It’s not the first time such a rule has been proposed, and in the past it hasn’t gone anywhere. In the past the most common proposal has been fourth-and-15, but the Eagles may think that by making the conversion more difficult, more teams will favor it.
The Eagles’ proposal also limits teams to using the fourth-and-20 alternative twice in a game, and only when they’re trailing.
The rule still seems unlikely to pass unless it’s accompanied by a larger change to the kickoff rules, and that’s not part of the Eagles’ proposal. The league is likely to deal with the kickoff first before adopting any onside kickoff alternatives.
