U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday slammed as “ridiculous” the new ‘kickoff’ rule employed by the NFL starting this season, saying it contributes to making American soccer “effeminate.”
“The NFL needs to get rid of this ridiculous new ‘kickoff’ rule – how can they implement such a big, sweeping change so easily and quickly? It’s at least as dangerous as the ‘normal’ kickoff and looks terrible,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump calls new kickoff ‘effeminate’
“The ball moves, but the players don’t, just the opposite of what American soccer is all about.”
“‘Effeminate’ soccer is bad for America and bad for the NFL! Who comes up with these ridiculous ideas?” the president added.
Trump’s criticism is directed at the rule the NFL has implemented since this season for the kickoff.
Whereby a team gives possession of the ball to the opponent every time it scores.
It is also used at the start of the game, the second half or extra time.
NFL seeks to reduce injuries
The new rule is designed to reduce the risk of injury and ensure player health, according to the NFL, as it shortens the distance between players on both teams.
Until now, the greater distance allowed players to reach a higher speed when running in opposite directions – one looking to score, the other to stop the runner – which increased the risk of injury.
The regulation also established a series of situations in which the ball should not even be returned by a player, almost completely avoiding such collisions, according to information from EFE.
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