NFL changes rule on loophole that Raiders were exploiting, just in time for Patriots game
BOSTON -- If there's anyone in football history who's excelled at finding the loopholes and exploitable nuances in the NFL rulebook, it's been Bill Belichick. While he may rank No. 2 in all-time wins at the moment, he undoubtedly ranks No. 1 by a mile in the category of coach who forced the most rule changes.
It's not entirely surprising, then, that Josh McDaniels tried to emulate his master this year. McDaniels, who coached under Belichick from 2001-08 and then again from 2012-21, had been taking advantage of an odd rule that give his kickoff team a distinct advantage. It was deemed a legal strategy, but the NFL has changed its mind.
The Raiders had been using a holder to place the football on the top part of the kicking tee, rather than sitting inside of the tee, thus giving their kicker a better chance to boom the ball high into the air, resulting in more hang time and allowing the coverage team an extra step or two to get down the field.
It was certainly noticeable, especially when the Raiders were employing the strategy on a nationally televised game in the not-quite-indoors-but-still-not-windy-enough-for-a-holder-on-kickoffs SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles last week.
Alas, the NFL has changed its mind and decided to ban holders from holding the ball on top of the tee, according to Football Zebras.
"After initially granting approval, the league has reversed course on the rule interpretation it issued," Ben Austro wrote. "The Raiders ran this [strategy] by senior vice president of officiating Walt Anderson, and received his blessing, but now the league [has] reconsidered that interpretation, according to league sources familiar with the reversal."
Holders can still be used for kickoffs if the wind is knocking the ball off the tee, but that holder can't place the ball on the top of the tee.
Twice last week, Daniel Carlson kicked short of the goal line, with the Rams failing to return the ball past the 25-yard line. It wasn't a massive advantage -- the Rams got the ball at the 22-yard line and 18-yard line on those two instances -- but McDaniels won't have it in his back pocket this week when Belichick and the Patriots come to town.
