Many minor rule differences and major salary differences exist between the XFL and NFL. And, unfortunately, according to ESPN, one other difference between the two is that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the XFL may have been canceled again. In NFL and College, touchbacks go to the 20, so teams will risk less vs. The XFL on punts. Our coaches will be incentivized to go for it on 4th down because there is a higher likelihood of a positive punt return, and no ability to “pin” the receiving team with a coffin corner kick.

The 2020 XFL season will begin this weekend, and if you’re planning on tuning in to get your football fix during the NFL offseason, you may be a little confused by the league’s new rules. The XFL has made several major rule changes in an attempt to reduce overall game times and produce more highlight-reel plays.

Here’s a primer on all the major rule changes and differences from standard NFL rules.

SCORING RULES:

Point-after touchdown plays

In the XFL, there are no kicked extra points after touchdowns. Instead, teams will have an option to run a play to score either 1, 2 or 3 extra points, creating the possibility for a 9-point touchdown.A 1-point try will be run from the 2-yard line. A 2-point try will start at the 5-yard line, and a 3-point try will start at the 10-yard line.

GAME RULES:

Double-forward passes

Unlike in the NFL, the XFL will allow two forward passes on a play, provided that the first forward pass is caught behind the line of scrimmage.

What is a catch?

In the XFL, receivers only need to have one foot – or any other part of their body – contact the ground in bounds, instead of two feet in the NFL. Here is how the league defines what a catch is:

Secures control of a live ball in flight before the ball touches the ground.Touches the ground in bounds with any part of his body, and thenMaintains control of the ball long enough to enable him to perform an act common to the game, i.e., long enough to pitch or hand the ball, advance it, avoid or ward off an opponent, etc.

Kickoffs

The XFL designed its kicking rules in a way to increase the amount of returns we see compared to the NFL, and to make returns safer. Kickoffs are going to look very different.

On a kickoff, the kicker will kick the ball from their own 30-yard line, but every blocker will be lined up on the opposing team’s 35-yard line. The return team blockers will be lined up at their own 30, just five yards away.

Only the kicker and receiver can move before the ball is caught. All other blockers are permitted to move when the ball is caught, or three seconds after it hits the ground, if the ball isn’t caught.

Kicks that fly out of bounds, or kicks that fall short of the opposing 20-yard line, will result in the receiving team taking the ball at the kicking team’s 45-yard line.

Touchbacks will result in the receiving team starting at their own 35-yard line.

Teams will be required to inform an official if they plan to use an onside kick, meaning they cannot surprise the opposing team with an onside kick.

Punts

Punting rules have also been changed to entice coaches to go for it on fourth down.

All punts that result in touchbacks will be placed on the receiving team’s 35-yard line. Punts that go out of bounds will also be placed on the receiving team’s 35-yard line, or wherever the ball went out if that occurred before reaching the 35.

The punting team may not cross the line of scrimmage before the ball is punted, which should reduce the amount of fair catches significantly.

Challenges

There are no coaches challenges in the XFL. All reviews will be initiated by a replay official. Via the XFL, here is a list of reviewable plays:

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(a) Plays involving possession. (b) Plays involving touching of either the ball or the ground. (c) Plays governed by the goal line. (d) Plays governed by the boundary lines. (e) Plays governed by the line of scrimmage. (f) Plays governed by the line to gain. (g) Number of players on the field at the snap. (h) Game administration. (1) Penalty enforcement. (2) Proper down. (3) Spot of a foul. (4) Status of the game clock. (i) Disqualification of a player. This list of reviewable plays is identical to those in the NFL prior to 2019.

OVERTIME FORMAT:

Nfl Vs Xfl Differences

The XFL has devised a completely new format for overtime, which is comparable to a shootout in soccer.

In overtime, each team’s offense will have five attempts to complete a two-point conversion from the five-yard line, with each successful conversion being worth two points. The team with the most points at the end of the shootout is the winner. If one team clinches a win early, the unnecessary remaining rounds of the shootout will not be played.

There will be no coin toss to determine the order of overtime. The visiting team will always make the first two-point attempt.

Defenses cannot score in overtime possessions in the event of a turnover.

Penalties in overtime:

Penalties will be crucial in overtime plays. If the offensive team commits a pre-snap penalty, the ball will moved back and the play will be re-attempted. If the offense commits a post-snap penalty, the play is considered dead, and any score will not count.

If the defense commits a penalty pre-snap, the ball will be moved to the one-yard line. For a post-snap penalty, the offensive team will have the option to re-try the play from the one-yard line if they do not score. Any future penalties committed by the defense in any future round will result in an automatic score for the offense.

TIMING RULES:

Game clock:

The XFL will use a running clock outside of the final two minutes of the second quarter, and the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

The final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters is what the XFL refers to as the “comeback period.” During these periods, plays that end out of bounds or with an incompletion will stop the clock until the next snap. The clock will be stopped after all other plays that end in bounds until the ball is spotted and five seconds have run off the play clock. In theory, this should give an offensive team leeway to run plays in the center of the field, as they will be able to rush back to the line of scrimmage without time coming off the clock.

The play clock is 25 seconds, and will begin when the ball is spotted following the previous play.

There will be one official on the field dedicated to spotting the ball, in an effort to speed up the process compared to the NFL.

Timeouts:

Each XFL team will receive two timeouts per half, compared to three per half for NFL teams.

The halftime break will be 10 minutes.

Penalties:

The XFL’s “illegal man downfield” rule has been rewritten to make it easier for officials to enforce.

No ineligible player shall be or have been more than three yards beyond the line of scrimmage until a passer throws a legal forward pass that crosses the line of scrimmage. A player is in violation of this rule if any part of his body is beyond the three-yard limit.

The NFL season is over, but it doesn’t mean football fans must wait until August to watch their favorite sport. In fact, the launch of the 2020 XFL season on Feb. 8 will provide fans with a new brand of football that could be even more exciting.

Vince McMahon and XFL commissioner Oliver Luck have a vision for an innovative brand of football. Fans want more scoring, faster action and an intensity that is sometimes missing from the NFL. Now the XFL is hoping its new rules will give fans exactly that. Paired with well-known names on coaching staffs and on rosters and teams ready to compete for a title, everything else is in place for an entertaining product.

When fans tune in for the opening kickoff of the XFL season on Feb. 8, they’ll be treated to a game with different rules tailored to make the game more exciting. Now, let’s take a look at what makes the XFL standout from the NFL.

Rules

• Kickoff

The game will feel different from the moment the football is kicked off for the first time. As part of the XFL’s vision to bring more excitement to the game, kickoff returns have changed to avoid touchbacks and increase returns.

• The kicker stands from the 30-yard line and kicks the ball to the returner inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
• Unlike in the NFL, both coverages teams will line up five yards apart with the return team at the 30-yard line and the coverage team at the 35-yard line. It’s a measure to prevent high-speed collisions.
• Only the kicker and returner can move at the start of the play. Once the ball is either caught or is on the ground for three seconds, all other players can move.
• These rules are in place not only to increase player safety, but to create more chances for huge kickoff returns.
• If the football goes into the end zone and is downed, it’s a “major” touchback with the ball placed at the 35-yard line.
• If the football hits in play and then goes out of the end zone, it is placed at the 15-yard line.

• Punts

Punts will be more infrequent in the XFL than the NFL, in large part thanks to rules put in place to encourage more aggressive decisions on fourth downs.

• The punt team can’t unleash its players past the line of scrimmage until the ball is kicked.
• If the football goes out of bounds inside the 35-yard line, it’s a major touchback and the ball goes to the 35-yard line. This eliminates coffin-corner punts, which are popular in the NFL.
• If the ball is punted and lands in the opponent’s end zone or goes out of the end zone, it’s a major touchback.

• Point-After Touchdown

This is one of the areas where the XFL can really stand out. The extra-point kick has become stale in the NFL. So, the XFL is bringing a new twist to the game after a touchdown.

• Following a touchdown, the team can choose between running a one, two or three-point play. No matter what the team picks, it must run an offensive play.
• One-point attempt: The team will run an offensive play from the two-yard line.
• Two-point attempt: The team runs an offensive play from the five-yard line.
• Three-point attempt: The team runs an offensive play from the 10-yard line.
• If the defense creates a turnover and returns it to the opposite end zone, they receive points equal to the attempt by the offense.

In the XFL’s eyes, this will add greater excitement to the game and increase opportunities for comebacks.

• Overtime

When an XFL game goes to overtime, that’s when the wild excitement starts. Instead of watching long drives unfold in the XFL with few scoring opportunities, the XFL focuses on immediate scoring chances.

Nfl Vs Xfl Reddit

• Each team will alternate in a single-play possession from the opponent’s five-yard line and is given one play to score. Each score is worth two points and only the offense can score.
• The single-play shootout will last for five rounds or until one of the teams is mathematically eliminated from matching the other team’s points.
• If the score is tied after five rounds, then it will continue until a winner is decided.
• If the defensive team commits a penalty at any point after, the offense moves to the one-yard line. If another penalty is made, the offense receives two points.
• If the offensive team commits a pre-snap penalty, the team moves back the subsequent yardage. If a post-snap penalty occurs, the play is dead and no score is given.

Clock Rules:

• Running game clock: Unlike the NFL, when a pass is incomplete or the play goes out of bounds, the game clock will start once the ball is spotted.
• Comeback period: Takes place after the two-minute warning. The clock will run after incompletions and out of bounds plays.
• Play clock: The XFL will use a 25-second play clock rather than the NFL’s 40-second clock.
• Timeouts: Each team receives two timeouts per half.

All of these rules are meant to increase the speed of the game and help the XFL achieve its goal of games being under three hours. Stopping the clock in the comeback period also allows coaches to save their timeouts. Overall, the focus is on a quicker game with more speed and better decisions.

Instant Replay:

• Coaches’ challenge: No challenges will be allowed for coaches. All replay decisions are determined by officials.
• Replay official: The XFL sky judge watches over the game and can correct any egregious and obvious error that may have a significant impact on the game’s outcome in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime.

The XFL’s goal is to have coaches focus on the game entirely and not become distracted by a referee’s mistake.

Gameplay Rules:

• Double-forward pass: A team can complete a forward pass behind the line of scrimmage then throw a second forward pass, barring the football not crossing the LOS before.
• Sideline catches: If a player secures control of the football and gets one foot in bounds, it will be considered a catch.

These rules are meant to not only make the game simpler and to allow players to make more incredible catches, but to also open up more creativity in playbooks.