Some rules are designed to create a faster-paced game that offers the potential for explosive scoring plays on offense and special teams. The USFL uses a system of rules that is a hybrid between the NFL and college football. This will keep the game from running too long if either team struggles to complete passes. In cases where a player is intentionally tackled beyond 15 yards, it is a spot foul. Answering big Round 1 questions USFL players signed two-year contracts, which could lead to a legal challenge if they try to sign with the XFL next year. "It's now that we're offset by a year, and who has that experience? USFL overtimes are sure to be exciting. Pereira also announced some changes to the rules regarding the clock in the first and third quarters before Week 4. The semifinal contests will be held Saturday, June 25, featuring the top two teams in each division. They are not the same as the NFL's rules, and in certain areas they greatly differ. MORE: Full 45-man rosters for each USFL team. "Our players are practicing full speed," Fisher said. "Located downtown, it's within walking distance to the hotels where players will reside and many other amenities. Experts weigh in | Fantasy spin In an interview this week, USFL executive vice president of football operations Daryl Johnston said he expects the league to "be ahead of the curve" by the time the XFL gets back on the field. The league announced last month that their inaugural postseason will take place inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio starting on June 25. ), Kiper's draft grades for every team You're competing. More coverage | Full draft order . In the XFL's previous iteration, it was uncommon to see a team attempt a 3-point try unless they were trailing big. If the team gets a first down, they retain possession from that spot. Which first-round prospects should Raiders focus on at combine? The set-up zone is located between the 35- and 45-yard lines. The USFL has officially unveiled a few changes to the traditional football rules, designed to bolster offense and big-play potential, improve game flow, give trailing teams more scoring. The USFL's are as follows: The CFL is a bit more complex because it is Canadian football. How will the league be formatted? Effect: Create an alternate way for trailing teams to keep the ball after scoring. The only way it could be over 15 yards is if the defender "deliberately tackles the receiver". Please logout and login again. 32 teams, 32 nuggets | Top 100 These include potential 3-point conversions after touchdowns, changes to onside kicks and overtime, the ability for an offense to complete two forward passes on a single play, and more. But when Johnston envisions the spring of 2023, he sees a USFL that has hit its stride competing against an XFL that will "be going through all the growing pains that we're going to go through this year. The 2022 USFL regular season will begin April 16 and run through mid-June, followed by the playoffs. Saturday's opener, in fact, will be simulcast by Fox, NBC and Peacock in what the USFL said will be the first scheduled sports competition to be aired simultaneously by competitors since NBC and CBS both televised Super Bowl I in January 1967. Keep reading to find out. . . And FOX Sports Edward Hartman will serve as Executive Vice President of Business Operations. The USFL and XFL seasons are about to begin, and the two feeder American leagues are getting set for a battle for supremacy. Former NFL players set to play in the XFL this weekend. Strong backgrounds in College Football are represented as 33 of the 35 USFL officials have worked in Power Five Conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12, and SEC). Each coach will be allowed one replay challenge. "The first game played in any new league is itself historical, and having the USFLs inaugural game simulcast by NBC and FOX makes it even more so," said FOX Sports CEO and Executive ProducerEric Shanks. Let's have a look at XFL's budget. section: | slug: new-usfl-rules-include-three-point-tries-best-of-three-overtime-shootout-onside-kick-alternative | sport: other | route: article_single.us | That creates a play that looks something like this: This rule makes kickoffs a bit safer by design, as the collisions between blockers and potential tacklers will not be as large. The XFL is known for going the extra mile in terms of creativity, so it will be fun to see the route they take in 2023 and beyond. Check it out , Three options after a touchdown: a one-point kick from the 15-yard line, a 2-point try from scrimmage at the 2-yard line and a 3-point try from scrimmage at the 10-yard line, The option to kick off or have an untimed down from their own 33-yard line in which the team retains possession if it gains 12 or more yards, Kickoffs from the 25-yard line, which Fisher predicted will nearly eliminate touchbacks, Best-of-three shootout format in overtime, where each team gets three plays from the 2-yard line, and the one with the most points after each team has three plays is the winner (after that, overtime extends to sudden death, and the first score wins), On punts, gunners can't line up outside the numbers and can't be double-teamed until after the ball is kicked, A 15-yard walk-off for defensive pass interference, Multiple forward passes are allowed, as long as they are all attempted behind the line of scrimmage. There are a total of 360 USFL roster spots this season and the league's coaches double as the teams' general managers. The clock also runs after incomplete passes in the first and third quarters. The first game will feature the Generals against the Stallions and will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of. This allows more time to potentially score in the two-minute drill which, again, would hypothetically make the game higher scoring and more exciting. Copyright 2022 Faceoff Sports Network. Each team will alternate offense from the two-yard line. When a USFL team scores a touchdown, they have three options to try for extra points, including: The USFL says these options should allow teams trailing by fewer than 10 points a chance at a comeback and add some late-game excitement, too. Games will be played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. If it's still undecided at that point, it becomes sudden death, and the next team to score wins. A consortium headed by Dwayne Johnson purchased the league for a rumored $15 million. Players on the active rosters will earn $4,500 per week, Woods told al.com earlier this year, and will also have the opportunity to earn bonuses based on games won. The USFL moved in the direction of other recent spring leagues, most notably the XFL in 2020, in hopes of speeding up the game and using rule innovation to maximize viewer attention. All Rights Reserved. In Week 4, Michigan Panthers head coach Jeff Fisher was the center of a shift in some USFL rules. As the season marches forward, Pro Football Network has the latest news around the USFL. The USFL is drawing inspiration from college football and the NHL by holding shootouts to decide games. While both of those leagues eliminated the NFL's standard extra-point kick, the USFL will be keeping it. Vince McMahon founded it as a direct competitor to the NFL, but that lasted only a short time. The USFL has officially unveiled a few changes to the traditional football rules, designed to bolster offense and big-play potential, improve game flow, give trailing teams more scoring opportunities as time winds down, enhance player safety, and get officiating calls right in a way thats fair for both teams. The team with the most points after three plays wins the game. The USFL's rules for 1- and 2-point attempts will differ slightly from those of the XFL and AAF. Below is a rundown of some of the key rule differences that you'll see during the USFL's first weekend. After a 37-year hiatus, the eight-team USFL will first play a 10 week regular season that will begin on Saturday, April 16 with a prime-time matchup between the New Jersey Generals and the Birmingham Stallions. One of the most notable differences between the USFL and the NFL is how the USFL handles overtime. Fantasy Football 2023: 3rd-Year Breakout Candidates. Most of the rules of football will apply to the USFL, but much like the AAF and XFL before it, the USFL will experiment with some rule changes to create excitement and intrigue. The XFL will use a centralized replay system. There will be eight teams in the new USFL, split into two divisions: North and South. The XFL doesn't allow teams to kick extra points following touchdowns. While onside kicks are still an option, the USFL will also offer second option for teams that want to try to maintain possession after a score. Teams are allowed to throw the ball forward twice so long as the first pass is completed behind the line of scrimmage. Kickoffs in the USFL will take place from the kicking team's 25-yard line. The USFL has unique rules regarding extra points, kickoffs, overtime, punts, and more. Here are a list of the rules the USFL is employing that are different than the NFL rules set. When a kickoff travels 20 yards, the receiving team must make the first touch. The NFL toyed with a similar idea during the Pro Bowl, as teams had a chance to maintain possession if they were able to convert on a 4th-and-15 play from their own 25-yard-line. 1 point kick attempt from the 15-yard line. If untouched, the kick becomes dead, and the ball belongs to the receiving team at that spot. The USFL has an agreement to split the broadcasts of all 43 games between Fox, NBC, FS1, USA and Peacock. A lot of risk, but a lot of reward The system is similar to what is used in tennis to determine whether a ball is in or out. By changing some of the key rules associated with the sport. The top four teams will then play two semifinal playoff games, followed by the championship on July 3. Following Week 4, the USFLs Head of Officiating, Mike Pereira, issued a statement regarding Panthers HC Jeff Fisher not being able to change his mind on the extra-point attempt. But the USFL has employed aggressive ticket pricing to draw people to Protective Stadium, the new 45,000-seat facility built for the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Defensive pass interference is a spot foul, maximum 15 yards (no half distance unless the ball was snapped at the 1), Intentional defensive pass interference can be called only by the replay official, which is a spot foul (or on the 1-yard line if in the end zone), If the defense returns a conversion to the offenses end zone, it is always 2 points. Fisher said. The NFL, being the most seasoned and the most settled association in North American . The whole premise of the XFL game rules is to add more plays of consequence/action and eliminate plays of inaction. There are going to be some situations that come up and it's going to be really fun to watch to see how teams will respond.". a punt or field goal) has to have played at least one other previous play on that drive. That comes at a great time, as the most popular American football league, the NFL, is on a break. The only caveat is that the first forward pass must be completed behind the line of scrimmage in order to make the second forward pass legal. Brian Woods, the founder and CEO of The Spring League from 2017 to 2021 and a co-founder of the new USFL, will serve as the league's President of Football Operations. It will include, for example, two sky cams and multiple drone cameras. Instant replay and coach's challenges were two of the USFL's rules that the NFL added, and they continue to play a prevalent role in today's game. The USFL has raced to the front of the starting line, moving from its public introduction to kickoff in 11 months, all while implementing an infrastructure that shares many similarities to the XFL's 2020 product. Much like the AAF and XFL before it, the USFL will be experimenting with some rule changes to create excitement and intrigue around the new league. The 3-point attempt is the biggest difference between the USFL and NFL. I think this rule will help teams get the ball back when they need it the most. A one-point try is attempted from the 2-yard line; a two-point try comes from the 5-yard line; and a three-point try comes from the 10-yard line. The USFL will adopt a running clock after incomplete passes in the first and third quarters to keep games under the three hours. So now, both the USFL and XFL can take center stage if they play their cards right. That said, those who do tune into the USFL's first contest will need to become familiar with the league's rules. Three timeouts per team per half. "Were excited to play our first playoffs and championship game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium," said Edward Hartman, USFL Executive Vice President, Business Operations. The only caveat is that the first forward pass must be. But your numbers are not such that you can have an offensive drill against a scout team defense. This should give teams a significantly better chance of a comeback than an onside kick, which should give us a significantly better chance of overtime fantasy points! David Bernstein, an attorney for Fox Sports and the USFL, said the allegations are "completely without merit," and a federal judge on Thursday decided against granting a preliminary injunction against the current league using the USFL brand. First up: An Overtime like you've never seen before pic.twitter.com/6aGRsUalGt. There is also one key difference in terms of offensive pass interference. Each successful scoring attempt will receive two points. Per Pereira, they do not expect this to result in a decrease of plays or opportunities for teams on offense while also shortening the game's length. What is the USFL's partnership with Strategic Education? Johnston had some other thoughts about the looming competition between the leagues, which we'll delve into as part of this deep dive into the USFL's origins, ambitions and innovations. Reason: Add offense without undermining defense. Be the first one to comment on this story. Working the official? We learned about new partnerships, the location of the playoffs and championship game, all eight team uniforms were . Now, the third edition of the XFL will look for success, and it is looking to do so with a key pillar of innovation: differentiation. It goes back to our [television] partners. Below you will find some USFL rules that I think could make big impacts in the game, and in fantasy points! Dead-ball fouls after an unsuccessful attempt (without live-ball fouls) do not change the fact that the attempt failed, just like any 4th down play. ", Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay and the rest of our NFL draft experts break down the 2023 class. - Two points for a successful scrimmage play from the two-yard line. Jacob Camenker is a senior content producer at The Sporting News. You can literally compete for six plays maybe, and then you've got to take a break.". Birmingham is a relatively small market for professional sports. Punts will, generally, be the same in the USFL as they are in the NFL, but with one small difference. The USFL is partnering with Strategic Education, Inc., a leader in online education, to offer its players and league staff a tuition-free, debt-free college degree program. All kickoffs will be from the 25-yard line. MORE:Full schedule, dates, times for 2023 XFL games. The USFL, which hasn't played since 1986, is gearing up for a comeback. Both passes must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. Here are the the most notable changes the league revealed that will differ from its NFL counterpart. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, How Curtis Johnsons Tulane Scheme Fits With The Houston Gamblers, BEST VALUE IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS USFL ANNOUNCES 2023 TICKET PRICES, McLeod Bethel-Thompson Jumps To USFL From CFL For 2023, New Jersey Generals 2023 USFL College Draft Deep Dive, Birmingham Stallions Are a Great Trade Fit For Aqeel Glass, Birmingham Stallions 2023 College Draft: An In-Depth Guide to Every Pick, USFL Draft Aftermath, Ticket Prices, McLeod Bethel-Thompson & more | USFL Podcast #48, 2023 USFL College Draft, Gamblers New Head Coach & Case Cookus Returns | USFL Podcast #47, USFL 2023 Schedule, Season 2 Rule Changes and more | USFL Podcast #46, Talking with Asst. The USFL passes the halfway point of its debut season in 2022 as it heads into Week 6. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler and analyst Mark Sanchez also contribute to FOX Sports USFL coverage. Reason: Enhanced player safety and game flow. Reason: Create more excitement and fairness with a designed shootout overtime period. USFL News (@Newsusfl) January 19, 2022 One of the major differences is the pass interference (PI) penalty automatically being 15 yards, no matter where the flag occurs on the field. The sport to our [ television ] partners association in North American dates, times for XFL. Have played at least one other previous play on that drive playoffs and championship game all. Ball after scoring split the broadcasts of all 43 games between FOX, NBC, FS1, USA and.. North American head coach Jeff Fisher was the center of a shift in some USFL rules within... Previous iteration, it 's now that we 're offset by a year, and the of. Michigan Panthers head coach Jeff Fisher was the center of a shift in some USFL rules Hartman serve! A running clock after incomplete passes in the USFL is employing that are different than the NFL 's,! 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