NFL owners voted down a proposal to change the starting yard line of the offense after a touchback on a punt, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.
The Competition Committee had proposed the ball be put in play at the receiving team’s 25-yard line when a touchback occurs on a punt. The committee cited competitive equity, consistency and player safety as reasons for the change.
But the proposal needed the approval of 24 owners, which it failed to receive.
Owners tabled a proposal to spot the ball at the 25-yard line on a fair catch on a kickoff inside the 25-yard line. That currently is the college rule.
Owners will continue to discuss the proposal.
The NFL has wrestled with how to make kickoffs and punts safer in recent years, with a disproportionate number of injuries occurring on special teams.
