XFL.com
Are you starting to get XFL fever yet? The league has held its draft, revealed all the big names that will be playing, odds for XFL championship have been posted, and all eight teams uniforms have been revealed (sorry, Tampa).
The XFL officially kicks things off on February 8, 2020, the weekend after Super Bowl LIV, and there will be, as was the case with XFL 1.0, a few rules that will differ from the league’s NFL counterpart.
None of these are official yet, but according to XFL commissioner Oliver Luck (Andrew’s dad), here’s some of what to expect.
Multiple Forward Passes
“If I’m in the shotgun as a quarterback, I’m 5 yards back, I can’t throw a lateral to a receiver because he’d have to be 7 yards back,” Luck told the Tampa Bay Times. “You might as well hold a sign, ‘We’re going to throw a trick play right now.’ So we said, all right, if a team’s in the shotgun, that shouldn’t prevent the double forward pass.”
Passes Dropped Behind The Line Of Scrimmage Will Be Ruled An Incomplete Pass, Not A Fumble
In theory, the rule could lead to XFL offenses featuring more “slash” players, players who can play multiple positions, including quarterback. Think Taysom Hill of the NFL’s Saints, Trace McSorley of the Ravens or Nick Fitzgerald of the Bucs.
Three-Point Conversions
“We think that the extra point kick is becoming a relatively meaningless play,” said Luck. “Even after the NFL moved it back, (the conversion rate) is still very very high. It’s why you go get a sandwich, right?”
Clock Stoppage After Every Play During Final Two Minutes Of Each Half
“We didn’t want a team to be able to have three downs where they just kneel it and burn off 1:40,” Luck said. “A kneel-down — as a quarterback I loved it — but it’s also a nothing play.”
Another thing that will be different in the XFL versus the NFL, as also was the case with XFL 1.0, will be the football.
https://twitter.com/RoughnecksF/status/1200162257390292992
During games, each team will use its own personalized game ball on offense featuring their team’s custom look and color scheme, and according to the XFL…
• The points of each football are wrapped with ‘X’ marks in white and the team’s primary color. This design allows receivers to track the ball easily.
• Patent-pending, “X-Pebble” grip technology will help players control the ball with a feel that enables a tight spin on throws, and also allows ball carriers to enhance their ball security.
This week, Pat McAfee got hold of the XFL’s uniquely-designed new football and took it out for a test run.
His verdict?
“I think the XFL ball gets a big pass,” said McAfee after making several throws and punts with it.