NFL owners passed a rule allowing teams to declare an onside kick anytime while trailing according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Teams were only able to declare an onside kick in the fourth quarter before this change. They will now kick from the 34-yard line instead of the 35. The change is designed to increase the success rate of onside kicks, which sat at a dismal six percent last year.

It’s hard to imagine such a minor tweak meaningfully changing the numbers on onside kicks. The NFL has refused to let the kickoff and, by extension, the onside kick die, but things continue to trend in that direction every year. Detroit’s proposal to change the playoff seeding rules was tabled while the tush push ban was voted down by NFL owners.