NFL fans want to adopt XFL's fourth-and-15 onside kick rule after it steals the show in Week 1

Jacob Camenker

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NFL fans want to adopt XFL's fourth-and-15 onside kick rule after it steals the show in Week 1 image

The St. Louis BattleHawks pulled off an improbable comeback to beat the San Antonio Brahmas in their first game of the 2023 XFL season.

St. Louis can thank the XFL's onside kick rules for making that rally just a bit easier.

The XFL allows its clubs to attempt a fourth-and-15 play from their own 25-yard line in lieu of an onside kick. The success percentage of an onside kick is roughly similar to that of a fourth-and-15 conversion attempt, but the theory is that the extra offensive play would provide extra excitement to the fans in the fourth quarter — the only time this kicking alternative is available.

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That certainly proved true in the BattleHawks vs. Brahmas game. St. Louis attempted the fourth-and-15 conversion with 1:17 left in the fourth quarter, trailing 15-12. The BattleHawks had just two timeouts left, so keeping possession of the ball would make it significantly easier for them to mount a game-tying or game-winning drive.

The BattleHawks were able to convert. Quarterback A.J. McCarron kept the play alive amid pressure in the pocket before finding Austin Proehl just beyond the sticks for the first down.

From there, St. Louis would march down the field before McCarron connected with Proehl on a 14-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left. That proved to be the difference in the contest.

MORE: What happened to A.J. McCarron? How long-time NFL backup ended up in XFL

    Thanks to the comeback, the XFL's onside kick alternative proved popular among football fans. Many credited it with making what had previously been a dull game that lacked offensive firepower into a tense, grinding finish.

    Some even called for the NFL to adopt this rule, which had previously been discussed and voted down by the league's owners over the years.

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    Certainly, the onside kick alternative looks like a win for the XFL. It will help to keep games within striking distance, especially when coupled with the 3-point conversion attempts that the league allows after touchdowns.

    The XFL wants games to be close and come down to the wire. It appears that they have a structure in place to ensure that will happen more often than not.

    Jacob Camenker

    Jacob Camenker Photo

    Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.