Did NFL referees just make up a rule on the spot in the Kansas City Chiefs-Jacksonville Jaguars game?

We have our first controversy with the new NFL kickoff rules.

In the second quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs-Jacksonville Jaguars matchup , Jaguars kicker Cam Little sent a kickoff that bounced into the end zone, and then back into the field of play on the one-yard line. Chiefs return man Mecole Hardman then picked the ball up from the one and took a knee in the end zone.

Hardman believed that would result in a touchback, sending the ball out to the 30-yard line for Kansas City's offense. However, after an official review, the referees deemed it a safety for the Jags. That ruling is consistent with the old kickoff rules, but as noted by Chiefs Digest writer Matt Derrick, there isn't a specific scenario for when a ball lands in the end zone, and then bounces back into the field of play.

So what's the issue with this play and the ruling on the field?

The ruling makes sense as Hardman essentially brought the ball backwards and went down in the end zone. You can't do that, or at least you couldn't do that previously. What Hardman should have done is down the ball at the one-yard line or pick the ball up and return it.

However, it's interesting that there isn't an official policy for that scenario outlined in the new rules. With a new rule, especially as dramatic of a change as this one is, there are bound to be some kinks that need to be worked out. The NFL needs to make it explicitly clear that the ball remains live in this scenario, which is something they haven't done to this point.

Thankfully this happened in a preseason game that ultimately has no consequences. The NFL will likely study this incident and add some more structure to the rules. It will be interesting to see if another scenario occurs that wasn't thought previously thought about as the preseason unfolds.

Hopefully, we quickly reach a stage where the kickoff rules are deeply understood, and it adds the excitement that the league originally envisioned.

Related: Chiefs solved a recurring problem with Andy Reid's offense in preseason Week 1 vs. Jaguars