Kickoffs won’t be the same next year for NCAA football, as the Playing Rules Oversight Panel changed and added rules Tuesday which will take effect in the fall season.

The panel approved a change which will push kickoffs from the 30-yard line back to the 35-yard line, but all players must remain on the 30-yard line until the ball is kicked, limiting the running start defenders have been able to take in the past.

Sacramento State Hornets sophomore wide receiver Morris Norrise said the change would affect the special teams drastically.

“That’s going to make it harder for teams to get returns,” Norrise said. “There will be a lot of touchbacks and less big returns.”

The same changes took effect in the NFL last year, and because of the switch, the NFL saw more touchbacks this season than ever before.

Another rule which was approved will move touchbacks on kickoffs from the 20-yard line to the 25-yard line, but any punt or fumble that goes into the end zone will remain as a touchback from the 20-yard line.

Freshman quarterback Garrett Safron said the change to the 25-yard line would help offenses.

“There is an advantage for offense,” Safron said. “Yards are hard to come by and to start five yards ahead than usual will be beneficial.”

The whole reason for the change was to help avoid injuries such as concussions players were suffering on kickoffs, according to the panel. Norrise agreed with the reasoning.

“If there are more touchbacks, then it takes away a lot of head-on collisions, which can reduce a lot of the concussions that occur during kickoffs,” Norrise said.

The panel also approved two more rules.

If a player’s helmet ever comes off during a play, he must come out and be attended to like he was injured. If he doesn’t, that player’s team will be penalized.

On punts, players are no longer allowed to jump over blockers to block punts in order to protect the punter from injury.

With the first game of the season more than six months away, teams will have plenty of time to prepare for the changes and adjust their game plan accordingly.

Josh Stanley can be reached at [email protected].