XFL 2023: How’s It Different From NFL & Rules Explained

Given that two spring leagues will be holding games throughout the NFL’s offseason, fans won’t have to worry about experiencing football withdrawal after the 2022 NFL season is done. The USFL’s second season kicks up in April, while the resurrected XFL is returning after a two-year absence. Six days after the Super Bowl LVII, on this Saturday, Feb. 18, the XFL will begin play.

Before this weekend’s games, here is all you need to know about the current XFL.

XFL Brief History

The XFL, the most recent effort to launch a spring league, will begin play in the spring of 2023. Eight clubs will compete in the league, which will include a 10-week regular season and a three-week, three-game postseason to choose a winner.

The XFL played one season in 2001 before trying a resurrection in the spring of 2020, making this officially the third edition.

The XFL was first established in 2001 as a collaborative venture between NBC and WWF, led by Vince McMahon. Despite a strong start, the league only lasted one season as a result of low viewership. The league made a comeback in 2020 under McMahon’s leadership, but after just five weeks of operation, COVID-19 forced the league to shut down once more. The league had to sell after filing for bankruptcy.

The league was later purchased out of bankruptcy by a company led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for $15 million, with the goal of having it return in 2023. Each XFL club will practise in Arlington, Texas, and will only travel on game days as a cost-cutting strategy.

The XFL was promoted as a “extreme” NFL substitute. McMahon wanted to increase the amount of trash-talking in the game so that it was more like it was in the WWF. Also, the NFL was cracking down on needless roughness at the time the league was marketing its product as “genuine” football, which included intense, violent collisions.

The league had a great beginning viewership for its broadcast on NBC, but as the season went on, ratings fell due to the calibre of the broadcasts and the play.

XFL overtime rules

With its overtime strategy, the XFL is borrowing from both the NHL and college football. Each team will get three chances to score a two-point conversion from their opponent’s 5-yard line rather than having to play a whole extra session. After those three tries, the winning side will be the one with the most conversions.

After three tries, if the score is still tied, the sides will exchange single possessions until a winner is determined.

With this rule modification, the game will be cut short and the conclusion will be more thrilling. That undoubtedly worked in the USFL and in the 2021 Penn State vs. Illinois game, so the XFL may also benefit from it.

Onside kick rules

Teams in the XFL will still be able to try an onside kick if they so want. Yet, if they feel more comfortable trying to get the ball in that way, they can forgo that choice and attempt a fourth-and-15 convert in the fourth quarter.

Onside kick attempts are permitted at any time throughout the game, but the fourth-and-15 conversion is only accessible during the final period.

XFL’s 3-point tries and tiered extra-points

Teams are not permitted to kick extra points after touchdowns in the XFL. Instead, in order to add one, two, or three points to their total, teams must attempt to enter the end zone.

A one-point try, a two-point try, and a three-point try are all made from the two-yard line, the five-yard line, and the ten-yard line, respectively. The coaches will choose which kind of conversion to try.

No difficulty, isn’t it? Indeed, but bear in mind that there is one exception to the rule. In the event that the defence scores on a try return for a touchdown, they will be awarded the same number of points as the offence sought. For instance, the defence scoring after intercepting a three-point attempt is worth three points.

It will be fascinating to observe whether teams consistently try to score two or three points. A club wouldn’t often try a 3-point shot in the previous XFL season unless they were well behind.

Although the regulation guarantees that an 18-point lead is just a two-score edge, it should nevertheless inject some excitement to the games, which are predicted to be tight.

Replay review

A centralised replay system will be employed by the XFL. The replay official will evaluate every play, and coaches will be allowed to contest one call every game.

Coaches must be careful how they utilise their right to dispute calls “including a foul or potential foul.” It’s also important to remember that, according to the XFL’s official website, replay can be used to fix mistakes on “non-reviewable plays, player safety at any moment throughout the game, and any issue in the last five minutes of regulation plus overtime.”

XFL’s double forward pass rule

This regulation is exclusive to the XFL. Teams are permitted to make two forward passes in a single play by the league. The sole restriction is that for the second forward pass to be legal, the first forward pass must be finished behind the line of scrimmage.

If the initial forward throw is intercepted, it is regarded as an incomplete pass rather than a lateral fumble. It counts as an incomplete pass if the second forward pass is dropped.

XFL kickoff rules

The updated kickoff regulations from 2020 will be adopted by the XFL. The two teams must line up five yards apart for that strategy to work. At their opponent’s 35-yard line, the kicking team will line up, and the returning team will do the same.

This year’s event begins on February 19, 2023. It will feature immersive gameplay innovations that will assure fans of a quicker pace of play and more action. The best part is that the league is happening during the NFL offseason, so staunch football fans will have something interesting to keep them occupied.

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