Donald Trump could make a huge change in the NFL after calling out regulation that he thinks runs the game.
On Monday, Trump took office for his second term as President of the United States of America, after being sworn in Washington DC.
Although he hasn't admitted to supporting a specific team, the 78-year-old is a well-known fan of the NFL and once came close to becoming the owner of the Buffalo Bills in 2014.
And now that he is back in the oval office, he might use his powers to make a huge change to the sport, getting rid of a regulation that he once described as 'terrible' and 'ugly'.
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Before beating Kamala Harris in the presidential election in November, Trump called for the NFL to scrap the new kickoff rule introduced for the 2024 season.
The regulation means players must line up just five yards apart from each other and are forbidden from moving until the ball has been received, and Trump isn't a fan.
"I think it's terrible. What are they doing? I think it's ugly, it doesn't look like football," the US President admitted on the 'Bussin with the Boys' podcast in October.
Trump also mentioned his dislike of the rule during several of his infamous rallies in the buildup to the presidential election.
Referencing it while talking about his race against Harris, he said: "We're starting 15 yards off the field, we're not starting from the 20... And speaking of football, maybe we can get the NFL to drop that ridiculous kickoff setting... I mean, what the hell are they doing?"
Ahead of the season, a majority of NFL teams agreed to the new kickoff regulation, which has earned the name "dynamic kickoff," with the hopes that it would boost the kickoff return rate while keeping players safe.
It means that players cannot move until the ball has been caught or it has landed in the endzone.
Should the returner opt to catch the ball without returning it, offences will start at the 30-yard line rather than the 25 and 20-yard lines as it was the rule in the past.
Topics: NFL, American Football, USA
Ben McCrum