In American football, a kickoff is a method of starting a drive-in gridiron football that occurs at the start of each half or after scoring that can be returned for yards. The number of kick return yards a player makes is a recorded statistic in football games. Statistics were not recorded until 1941. The history of the returner generally saw receivers used for the position, most notably with Deion Sanders. Only one return specialist has been inducted into the Hall of Fame with Devin Hester. This is a list of National Football League kick returners who have led the regular season in kick return yards each year. In addition to the overall National Football League (NFL) kick return yards leaders, league record books recognize the kick return yard leaders of the American Football League (AFL), which operated from 1960 to 1969 before being absorbed into the NFL in 1970. The NFL also recognizes the statistics of the All-America Football Conference, which operated from 1946 to 1949 before three of its teams were merged into the NFL, since 2025.