President rails against league's safety-focused rule change, calling it 'bad for America' and demanding its immediate reversal

September 15, 2025

Washington, D.C. – President Donald J. Trump unleashed a blistering critique of the National Football League on Monday, branding the league's revamped kickoff rule as "sissy football" and urging officials to scrap it in favor of the game's traditional, high-impact format.

In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump decried the NFL's "dynamic kickoff" – a rule introduced experimentally in 2024 and made permanent this offseason – as a "ridiculous looking" alteration that undermines the sport's essence. "The NFL has to get rid of that ridiculous looking new Kickoff Rule," Trump wrote. "How can they make such a big and sweeping change so easily and quickly. It’s at least as dangerous as the ‘normal’ kickoff, and looks like hell. The ball is moving, and the players are not, the exact opposite of what football is all about."

Trump, a self-proclaimed fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and former owner of the USFL's New Jersey Generals, escalated his rhetoric by declaring, "'Sissy' football is bad for America, and bad for the NFL! Who comes up with these ridiculous ideas? It's like wanting to 'roll back' the golf ball so it doesn’t go (nearly!) as far. Fortunately, college football will remain the same, hopefully forever!!"

The dynamic kickoff was designed to address two longstanding issues in the NFL: the decline in exciting returns due to touchbacks and the high injury risk from high-speed collisions. Under the new setup, the kicker aims for a "landing zone" between the goal line and the 20-yard line, while coverage and return teams line up just five yards apart – eliminating the running start that previously led to dangerous head-on impacts. Touchbacks now start at the 35-yard line, up from 30, to further incentivize returns.

Data from the 2024 season supports the rule's effectiveness: Kickoff returns jumped from a record-low 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8%, while injury rates on the play plummeted. In Week 1 of the 2025 season alone, teams returned 75.6% of kickoffs – a 50% increase from the prior year – adding drama to games like the Dallas Cowboys' thriller over the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles' victory against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Trump's comments echo his previous complaints about the rule last season, when he first labeled it "ridiculous." His intervention comes amid a broader pattern of the president weighing in on cultural touchstones, from NFL anthem protests during his first term to recent jabs at business practices like quarterly reporting. Critics, including Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, quickly pounced on the post, mocking Trump's priorities amid pressing issues like inflation and international conflicts.

Swalwell quipped on X (formerly Twitter), "I’m so glad Trump is finally focused on what matters. Everyone has been asking him to lower their grocery costs. And he’s NOT going to be distracted by that." Other users piled on, with one calling Trump a "cowardly repeat draft-dodger" for criticizing player safety measures, while supporters praised him for "having his finger on the pulse of America."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has not yet responded to Trump's remarks, but league owners approved the rule's permanence in March after reviewing its success. Analysts note that while the change has boosted viewership for kickoffs – once a "routine and insignificant" play – purists like Trump argue it dilutes the sport's aggressive spirit.

As the NFL's second week unfolds, Trump's outburst has reignited debates over the balance between safety and spectacle in America's most popular sport. With college football – which Trump singled out approvingly – sticking to traditional rules, the contrast highlights a growing divide between professional and amateur levels.