Eagles propose 4th-and-20 onside kick alternative

Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Football Team
Getty Images

There will be a proposed rule change related to an alternative to onside kicks again this year.

The NFL released the list of rules changes proposed by teams on Monday and it includes one from the Eagles that calls for a fourth-and-20 play to be added to the game as an alternative to a traditional onside kick.

Per the proposal, teams would have a 4th-and-20 from their own 20-yard-line and would need to convert it to keep the ball. A defensive stop would give the other team the ball at the point the play ends and teams would not be able to opt for a kickoff if they commit a penalty on their initial try.

The proposal also says a team would be limited to two tries in a game and they can only come while a team is trailing. Traditional onside kicks would remain in the game as well.

A similar proposal was brought forward by the Eagles in 2021, but it was tabled before coming to a vote by league ownership.

8 responses to “Eagles propose 4th-and-20 onside kick alternative

  1. So it in essence comes pretty close to reward a team for failing most of the game is what it comes down to.

  2. The Eagles are proposing this because they are the only team that can consistently make 4th & 20 conversions.
    It’s terribly unfair to the rest of the league.

  3. Stop changing the rules!! Move the kickoff back and and a touchback is on the 20. Having two different touchback 25 and 20 makes no sense. Let’s go back to sudden death for overtime but without any kicks allowed while we’re at it. Defense and special teams keep getting diminished. I’d rather have a hard fought 14-10 game that’s close than 52-35 games. It’s becoming a joke of a league.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.