The XFL is back, and it's Vince McMahon's second attempt to launch a professional football league that will attempt to compete with the NFL.
The XFL, of course, will put a new spin on the game of football. That means some rules you are familiar with from the professional and college levels — one foot in bounds counts as a catch, for example. The league, however, is trying a few new rules that might catch the NFL's attention.
Here are four rules that fit that description.
MORE: Explaining the XFL's rules differences vs. NFL
Double-forward passes
The XFL will allow teams to throw two forward passes if the football has not crossed the line of scrimmage. They paired this with a simplified illegal man downfield rule: no ineligible player can be more than three yards downfield before a passer throws a legal pass across the line of scrimmage.
It's a good combination that allows for a little more creativity in play-calling. Think of a bubble screen to the wide receiver. Now that receiver doesn't have to go backwards first before throwing the football, and there is less confusion for the offensive linemen.
It's a rule that could work.
Two timeouts per half
The XFL, of course, is following the Alliance of American Football's lead on pace of play. There is a 25-second play clock, the clock does not stop until the final two minutes of each half, and the replay rules will be similar to AAF.
All of those are designed to keep the interest of viewers with a short attention span.
We're interested to see how teams and coaches react to having two one-minute timeouts per half instead of three. If adopted at the NFL level, it would take out a few of those commercial breaks fans complain about and encourage a more expidited kind of pace of play. It might turn out to better than the three timeouts NFL and college teams are given.
MORE XFL 2020: Rules | Rosters | TV schedule
New kickoff rules
There is a movement to end the kickoff altogether, but there are a few things about the XFL's experiment here that should grab your attention.
The coverage team will be on the return side of the field. What? Yes, the coverage team will be on the 35 yard line and the return team will be on the 30 yard line. They can't move until the ball is either touched by the returner or on the ground for three seconds.
This will help reduce on-field collisions, and there will be returns knowing kicks that fall short of the 20-yard line go out to the 45-yard line and “major touchbacks” put the ball on the 35-yard line if the ball is downed in the end zone.
It's better than eliminating the kickoff straight up.
Overtime shootouts
It's like penalty kicks in soccer or a NHL shootout. Both teams' offenses and defenses will be on separate ends of the field.
The XFL will have five rounds, and each possession starts at the five-yard line. Teams have one play to score. Defensive penalties will result in the ball being placed on the one-yard line.
The college game has gone to a variation of this starting with the fifth overtime period this year, and it was exciting the first time we saw it.
It might be anticlimactic for some, but given the criticism of NFL overtime rules it's at least worth a look to see if this format works.
