What are the NFL rule changes in 2026? Red flags, kickoffs

The NFL opens its regular season Wednesday (New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) with only a few visible rule changes, the result of an offseason that was more about improving officiating production than on-field innovation.

The new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that the NFL and the NFL Referees Association agreed to in May calls for the creation of officiating training squads, expanded training and efforts to tie compensation to performance rather than seniority. NFL officials spent more time working with teams in the field during OTAs and training camps, and keen observers may have noticed an increased use of backup referees during preseason games.

On the field, owners gave new powers to replay officials, worked with the NFL Players Association to change discipline for significant penalties and continued to tinker with the kickoff formation that debuted in 2024. Let’s take a closer look.

Flags and expulsions from New York

The owners approved a number of changes to officiating procedures in March in preparation for a possible NFLRA lockout. Most of the modifications were canceled when the parties entered into a labor agreement, but one was accepted into service regardless of whether there was a lockout.

Replay officials in New York now have the power to both disqualify a player for rough football or non-football action and order a penalty even if the on-field official did not throw the flag. Previously, replay referees could only add a disqualification to an already executed penalty.

While the rule may only come up a few times this season, the rule represents a noticeable shift for owners, who generally prefer to avoid flags being thrown onto the field by anyone other than officials. The original wording of the proposal allowed replay judges to only disqualify a player who was not penalized. But during deliberations at a league meeting in March, several coaches argued that it would be fair to award a penalty if the replay judges deemed the action egregious enough to merit a suspension.

Thus, in a sense, the owners supported a new paradigm that could be expanded to include other rules in the future.

Discipline for dangerous punishments

The league and the NFL Players Association have agreed to significant changes to the penalties for four in-game fouls designed to limit injury: hip tackle, collar tackle, hit on a defenseless player and blindside block.

Players who are penalized three times for any of these violations (or fined for them after postgame review) will be suspended for one game. If a player commits only one of these in-game violations, 50% of the fine will be returned to him at the end of the season. Teams with what the NFL called an “excessive” level of these fouls will be fined.

In return, the NFLPA agreed to a new system that would provide players with partial or full refunds of first-offense fines, as well as certain other penalties. Previously, players could appeal penalties, and sometimes they were overturned by the referee. Here’s a full look at how the new system will work if no fouls are returned during the season, according to the NFL:

• No refunds will be given for violations against game officials, fighting, punches/forearms/kicks and violent gestures for a first offense.

• 50% reimbursement of fines for one-time violations in the form of collars, hip falls, launches or blind locks.

• 100% reimbursement of fines for one-time offenses involving hitting, kicking, tripping or kneeing an opponent; medical mask; leg whip; late strike; use of a helmet; be rude to a passerby; low block; chop block; unsportsmanlike conduct (except as described above); ridicule; throwing a soccer ball into the stands.

Players will only be entitled to one refund for a first offense if they have committed multiple offenses of different categories.

Starting match adjustments

The NFL continued to tinker with the new kickoff alignment it unveiled for the 2024 season.

Last season’s changes dramatically increased the return rate, as predicted, to 74.5% from 32.8% in 2024. A total of 1,157 more return kicks were thrown from 2024 to 2025, but this also saw the number of kickoff concussions increase from eight to 35. The rate of kickoff concussions also increased from 0.87% to 1.79%, which was lower than the pre-2024 seasons.

The NFL has cut from six to five the minimum number of receiving players who must have their feet on their holding line, which is their own 35-yard line on regular kickoffs. The receiving team can now have a maximum of four players in the staging area, which is a 5-yard area behind the boundary line, and there are new rules as to where players in that staging area can line up.

The NFL also eliminated a loophole that encouraged teams to intentionally kick the ball out of bounds when penalties moved the kickoff to the 50-yard line, a maneuver that would have resulted in the point being placed at the 25-yard line rather than the 40-yard line if it had occurred on a regular kickoff. Going forward, touchbacks on kickoffs from the 50-yard line will be called at the 20-yard line, giving teams an incentive to start the game normally in such situations.

Designated red flag thrower

For the first time this season, head coaches can designate a member of their sideline staff to initiate the competition by raising a red flag. If the coach selects a substitute player, that person’s name must be identified during the team’s pre-match meeting with the officiating panel.

Teams will still have at least two Coach Challenges available to them, and will receive a third if at least one of the first two is successful. It’s hard to imagine the head coach delegating the actual decision to use one, but in theory having a red flag in the other person’s head could prevent an accidental emotional decision to initiate a challenge.

Another offside kick setting

Last year, the NFL began allowing teams to call an offside kick at any point in the game as long as they were trailing, after previously only allowing it in the fourth quarter. The requirement to be an underachiever has been removed for this season. Teams may call a kick offside whether they are ahead, tied, or trailing in the game, and at any point during the game.