Irvine, Calif. – From the top, you'll notice a difference.

When the New Orleans Saints face Arizona in their preseason opener Saturday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., the opening kickoff will draw attention because it'll be the first time the Saints have kicked off, or received, in such a manner.

The NFL rules committee implemented a change to resuscitate kickoff returning – partly crafted by Saints special team coordinator Darren Rizzi – in hopes of giving the play more prominence than previous years.

Previously, opponents simply could kick the ball out of the end zone on kickoffs to deny return opportunities. Or high, deep kickoffs allowed opponents – who had a running start – a better chance to corral returners.

This season, under the change, the ball will be kicked from the kicking team's 35-yard line. All kicking team players other than the kicker will line up with one foot on the receiving team's 40-yard line. Those 10 players can't move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone.

At least nine receiving team players must line up between the receiving team's 35- and 30-yard line, and at least seven with one foot on the 35-yard line. Those seven players also can't move until the ball hits the ground or a player in the landing zone or end zone.

The landing zone is between the goal line and the 20-yard line. A kick that lands short of the landing zone will be treated as a kickoff out of bounds and the receiving team gets the ball at the 40, a kick that hits the end zone and stays in or goes out of the end zone comes out to the 30, but any kick that hits in the landing zone must be returned.

"I don't think anybody knows how it's going to play out," Saints Coach Dennis Allen said. "It's never been done before. There's obviously been some things that have been done that are similar, but this actual kickoff has never been done before.

"I think you're going to see a lot of different things throughout the course of the preseason. I think the coaches that are able to adjust the best to the new rules and figure it out, the faster you're able to do that, I think those teams are going to take advantage of it. This will be our first opportunity to actually see what this kickoff is going to look like in a live situation. I'm interested to see how it plays out."

Here's how our gut suggests other things could play out:

1. FIRST QUARTER: Quarterback Derek Carr and the first-team offense starts and plays a couple of series because they need the work. The Saints are installing a new offense, Carr needs to establish a rhythm and the offensive line – which features new starters at left tackle (Taliese Fuaga), left guard (Lucas Patrick) and right tackle (Trevor Penning) – needs the game reps. Assuming neither Carr nor the line will play in the next preseason game against San Francisco – the joint practices between the two will be a better game simulation than the preseason game – this will be valuable experience heading into the joint practices. Jake Haener will take over at quarterback. On defense, Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry start at cornerback due to injuries, with D'Marco Jackson and Willie Gay at linebacker. Saints may take it easy on defensive end Chase Young and hold him out of this one.
2. SECOND QUARTER: Saying Haener will be the second quarterback in rotation isn't an insult to rookie Spencer Rattler; it's simply a hunch that in this game, Haener will get the first call. He'll be on the field with the second offensive line (possibly including Landon Young, Oli Udoh, Kyle Hergel and Sincere Hayneworth), but don't be surprised if Penning and Fuaga still are on the field longer than the other starters. Chris Olave and Cedric Wilson Jr. will be off the field at receiver, replaced by A.T. Perry and Kevin Austin Jr. On defense, extended looks at cornerback for Shemar Jean-Charles and Rejzohn Wright and for Anfernee Orji and Khaleke Hudson at linebacker.
3. THIRD QUARTER: Haener goes from finishing the first quarter and last into the third, and then comes Rattler to play quarterback the remainder of the game. Jordan Mims and James Robinson will get most of the snaps at running back, Marquez Callaway and Samson Nacua are at receiver. Nacua has been a playmaker in camp. The defense is full of young pups but a couple of veterans, like defensive back Will Harris, safety J.T. Gray and linebacker Monty Rice, could be on the field, too.
4. FOURTH QUARTER: Rattler finishes (or Haener, if Rattler gets the call with the second unit. Saints are thin at receiver due to injuries, so tight ends will help (Dallin Hooker has made tough, contested catches in camp). Safety Roderic Teamer, a former Tulane standout, may have entered in the third and could finish out the fourth. Isaiah Stalbird gets a good look at linebacker, too.