The XFL has announced its rules for the relaunch in 2020, and they vary greatly from what fans are used to in the NFL. While football purists may question some of the changes, they promise to bring a faster-paced game and more exciting moments to all aspects of the game.
Among the changes are a three-tiered extra point system, running clock, double forward passes, and a shout-out style overtime.
But don’t worry, the XFL promises the rule changes will not be gimmicky.
“What we did is listen to fans,” XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said, via ESPN.com. “And what they told us is that they love this game, but they would like it at a little more of a faster pace and with a little more excitement. They thought there is too much idle time.”
“We tried to listen to what they didn’t want, also,” he continued. “They didn’t want gimmicks or things that were inauthentic. They also didn’t want to be complicit when it comes to player safety. So what we wanted to do is take a great game and make it a little better.”4
The biggest, most intriguing change is the extra point system that will allow teams to go for 1, 2, or 3 points.
- After a touchdown, the team has the option of running a play from the 2, 5, or 10-yard line, worth 1, 2, or 3 points respectively. The team must run an offensive play and no kicking plays are allowed.
- If the defense is able to cause a turnover and return the ball to the opponent’s end zone, the resulting score is equal to the number of points the offense was attempting to score on its PAT.
There is also the exciting overtime system which will allow teams alternating single-play possessions with the team who scores the most points in five rounds coming out on top.
Additional rule changes include players needing only one foot inbounds to complete a catch, a dedicated ball-spotting official, coach-to-player communications for defensive players and skill position players, shorter haltimes, and just two one-minute timeouts per half.
You can check out the full XFL rulebook here.