President Donald Trump on Monday renewed his criticism of the NFL’s revamped kickoff rule, calling it “ridiculous-looking” and denouncing the change as “sissy football” that is “bad for America,” and urging the league to abandon the format.
Trump posted his remarks on Truth Social, repeating objections he first raised last season and arguing the new “dynamic kickoff” is “the exact opposite of what football is all about.” He also compared the change unfavorably to what he characterized as attempts to alter other sports and said he hoped college football would remain unchanged.
The NFL instituted the dynamic kickoff before the 2024 season as part of a broader effort to reduce high-speed collisions that have been linked to serious injuries while restoring the return game after years of largely touchback outcomes. Under the current configuration kickers still kick from their own 35-yard line, but members of the kicking team line up closer to the receiving side — often near the opponent’s 40 — and are restricted from moving until the return team touches the ball. The league also adjusted touchback placement to incentivize returns, moving touchbacks to the receiving team’s 35-yard line.
League statistics in early 2025 show a marked increase in returns: roughly three-quarters of kickoffs were returned in Week 1, the highest weekly return rate since at least 2010. The rule change coincided with a rebound in kickoff returns across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and there were multiple kick returns for touchdowns last season. Proponents say the changes preserve an exciting part of the game while aiming to limit the dangerous high-speed collisions that previous kickoff formats produced.
Still, the dynamic kickoff has produced confusion on the field at times. In a 2024 preseason game, Pittsburgh rookie Kaleb Johnson allowed a kickoff to enter the end zone and then was beaten on the recovery by the opposing team, an error that cost Pittsburgh the game. Coaches and players have adapted to the timing and spacing requirements of the new setup, but mistakes have highlighted the rule’s novelty and its potential to create unexpected outcomes.
Trump’s post prompted mixed reactions on social media, reflecting a split among fans. Some users praised the league’s adjustments and said the NFL had struck a balance between safety and excitement by generating more returns without a return to the previous high-rate of dangerous collisions. Others agreed with Trump’s assessment and criticized the NFL for what they described as unnecessary tinkering.
League officials and some analysts have framed the rule change as an iterative safety measure. Previous alterations to kickoff procedures in 2011, 2016 and 2018 reduced certain types of head-on, high-speed hits but also contributed to a decline in returns, prompting debate about whether to preserve the spectacle of the kickoff. The dynamic kickoff represents a compromise intended to keep returns frequent while limiting dangerous alignments and high closing speeds.
Trump’s remarks tie into a broader pattern of cultural commentary from the former president, who has in the past weighed in on sports rules and trends as part of wider critiques of American institutions. The NFL has not indicated any plans to reverse the dynamic kickoff; league officials point to the uptick in returns and the stated safety rationale behind the change as evidence the rule is meeting its goals.
Coaches, players and safety advocates continue to evaluate the effects of the new kickoff format as the season progresses, balancing concerns about injury risk with interest in restoring a once-prominent and exciting phase of the game.