[Leaning Right]

> Teams can now declare their intent to attempt an onside kick at any point in the game <

I don’t follow the NFL anything like I used to. But I am curious. Why should a team have to declare their intent to attempt an onside kick at all?

[KarlInOhio]

The kicking team (other than the kicker) start on the receiving team’s 40 on a normal kickoff instead of behind their own 35 like it used to be or on an onside kick.

https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/rules-changes/dynamic-kickoff-rule-explainer/

[Red Badger]

Because lining up is different than for a regular kickoff and may involve a different set of players............

[Alberta's Child]

Why should a team have to declare their intent to attempt an onside kick at all?

I think it's because the players on the kicking team line up downfield across the midfield line for a "normal" kickoff. They aren't allowed to attempt an onside kick in that configuration because 10 of the 11 players on the kicking team are already 10+ yards downfield before the ball is kicked.