XFL New Rules

[ricochet]

5 plays per team for the overtime seems strange. Why 5 and not 4 as they are starting at the 5 yard line?

The 5 plays all start from the 5. If the first play gains 3 yards it doesn't count for anything and the next one goes from the 5. I also assume the touchdowns aren't counted as touchdowns but rather just successful tries. So the final score would be something like team A wins 24-24 (3-2) meaning it was tied at 24 and they got 3 successful plays in overtime while the other team got just 2.

 

[STATE12]

5 plays per team for the overtime seems strange. Why 5 and not 4 as they are starting at the 5 yard line?

I believe it's more of a "how many times out of 5 tries can you score" than "you have 4 downs to score on this attempt".

More like a hockey or soccer shootout.

 

[MeowingCows]

I like all of these rules except the punt rule, but that’s just the traditionalist speaking in me. There’s almost no incentive to punt within your opponent’s territory if your opponent won’t get the ball in any worse field position than their own 35 yard line. Then again, how often do we scream for our teams to go for it on 4th down in opponents’ territories?

essentially this league is being set up such that field position doesn’t mean a damn thing.

That's the intention. They want action and pace, not kicking in general. Replacing long strategy and in-game management with aggression and risk-taking.

And that will certainly put some people off to it, no doubt.

 

[STATE12]

A kickoff designed to discourage touchbacks and increase the likelihood of a return: The ball will be kicked off from the 30-yard line, but the coverage and blocking teams will line up at the receiving team's 35- and 30-yard lines, respectively. Only the kicker and returner can move until the ball is caught, or three seconds after it hits the ground. A touchback will be spotted at the 35-yard line. Kicks out of bounds will go to the 45-yard line.

I think this one will look really odd the first time we see it.

20 guys just standing in their "ready" position, counting ONE MISSISSIPPI TWO MISSISSIPPI THREE MISSISSIPPI like we used to on the playground if the ball hits the ground.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I love the fact that they mentioned the concern for player safety by allowing one-foot-in catches, when nearly every other rule is likely more dangerous for the players. Punt and kickoff returns are usually known as the most dangerous plays in football. Also, speeding up play by having an assigned spotter and adding more short yardage plays for the "extra point" scenarios is not necessarily being done with player safety in mind.

I don't mind the rules, but let's not pretend it's not being done with player safety in mind. It's about viewership.

 

[g4ce]

I love the fact that they mentioned the concern for player safety by allowing one-foot-in catches, when nearly every other rule is likely more dangerous for the players. Punt and kickoff returns are usually known as the most dangerous plays in football. Also, speeding up play by having an assigned spotter and adding more short yardage plays for the "extra point" scenarios is not necessarily being done with player safety in mind.

I don't mind the rules, but let's not pretend it's not being done with player safety in mind. It's about viewership.

But they have made kickoffs safer by lining up the teams on the 30 and 35 yard line, respectively, of the receiving team. This would mean a lot less full speed runners down the field and as such fewer full speed collisions.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

But they have made kickoffs safer by lining up the teams on the 30 and 35 yard line, respectively, of the receiving team. This would mean a lot less full speed runners down the field and as such fewer full speed collisions.

Thanks. I completely overlooked that. Kickoffs are going to look weird.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

The tweaks include a running game clock that won't stop after incomplete passes or when players go out of bounds, except inside of two minutes in each half.

I feel like a running clock after incompletions will make the game go a lot faster.