The USFL is returning this spring, as it enters the second season of its revival amid the boom of alternative football leagues.
It will run up against the home stretch of the XFL season, another league that has looked to capitalize on viewership during the NFL's offseason, as well as provide a revitalization for those who believe the NFL has become the "No Fun League". The USFL-champion Birmingham Stallions will no longer have exclusive home-field advantage, with four sites being tapped this year: Ford Field in Detroit, Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Protective Stadium in Birmingham, and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis.
To that point, the Tampa Bay Bandits have been replaced by the Memphis Showboats, who have a hub.
With all of that in mind, one of the benefits of being a young league is more flexibility in the rules. USFL and XFL rules are very fluid in comparison to the NFL, and those in charge are likely self-searching on social media constantly looking for ideas.
The USFL already had some dramatic rule changes last year. It implemented a running clock after incompletions in the first and third quarters to reduce game lengths, teams can make two forward passes if the first is completed behind the line of scrimmage, and three-point conversions are possible after touchdowns.
Here are the biggest rule differences in the USFL from the NFL and XFL, including rule changes for this season.
USFL 2023 rule changes
The USFL is undergoing three major changes for the 2023 season after last year.
1. Kickoff from the 20-yard line
One of the major things the USFL wanted was to reintroduce the kickoff return.
It tried to do so by moving kickoffs to the 25-yard line last season, and in that endeavor it largely succeeded. KaVontae Turpin's special teams prowess netted him a role with the Cowboys, 81 percent of kickoffs were returned, and kickoffs felt meaningful.
The USFL, however, wants to raise its return rate to 90 percent, according to Mike Pereira. To that end, it is moving kickoffs to the 20-yard line this season.
- NFL rule: 35-yard line
- XFL rule: 30-yard line for the kicker, opposing 35-yard line for the kicking team
2. Running clock after incompletions (2nd & 4th quarters)
Last season, USFL games were clocking in at over three hours before the league decided to implement a running clock after incomplete passes in the first and third quarters.
This year, it's trying to cut that time down even more, especially since playing at multiple sites could cause games to bleed into each other. It will add a running clock in the second and fourth quarters, until the five-minute mark of the quarters.
After game time has become a major talking point in other sports (MLB), it's hardly surprising to see the USFL capitalizing on that momentum and trying to make games shorter. This is a compromise between the NFL and XFL rules.
- NFL rule: Always stop clock
- XFL rule: Clock runs until two-minute warning of each half
3. Forward fumble through end zone doesn't end possession
A rule NFL fans don't think about until they do is the forward fumble rule.
It has long irked NFL fans that a fumble through the end zone results in a touchback for the other team. What is it about the end zone that makes it unique? Why can players fumble out of bounds on other parts of the field?
The USFL has decided to negate these questions by allowing a team that fumbles through the end zone to retain possession at the spot of the fumble. That way there isn't a chance to advance with a fumble but teams aren't incongruently punished for that fumble.
- NFL rule: Touchback for the other team
- XFL rule: Same as USFL
Other returning USFL rule changes
These are some of the major changes happening this way, but there are rules returning from 2022 that fundamentally change the way the game is played that fans may need refreshing on.
USFL overtime
USFL overtime is a straightforward shootout. Teams get three attempts at a two-point conversion at the opposing two-yard line. Whichever team does better in those three plays wins.
If the teams remain tied, we go to sudden death.
- NFL rule: 10-minute period of normal play. If receiving team scores a touchdown on the opening possession, receiving team wins. If kicking team forces a field goal it gets a chance to answer. TD ends the game, field goal means the game continues as normal. If kicking team holds receiving team scoreless, next score wins. If teams remain tied after 10 minutes, game ends in a tie.
- XFL rule: Same as USFL, but from five-yard line instead of two.
USFL forward pass rules
The USFL has an interesting wrinkle to the rulebook, in which teams can throw two forward passes in a play so long as the first one is behind the line of scrimmage.
This opens the door for some trick plays, which the XFL has actually used to great effect.
Expect to see that in some USFL teams' playbooks this year.
- NFL rule: Only one per play
- XFL rule: Same as USFL
Three-point conversions
Another change in the USFL is the three-point conversion. The USFL has the standard extra point from the 15-yard line, the two-point conversion from the two, and the three-point attempt from the 10.
Teams can try to convert from any of these points at any time in the game.
- NFL rule: PAT from the 20-yard line or two-point conversion from the two
- XFL rule: Two-yard run/pass for one point, five-yard run/pass for two points, 10-yard run/pass for three points (no kick option)
Onside kick attempts
Onside kicks exist in the USFL, but they're only one option to get the ball back after a score.
Onside kicks would now be from the 20-yard line. Instead, teams can attempt a fourth-and-12 do-or-die play. Last year, it was from their own 33-yard line. That may or may not be the case with kickoffs moving back to the 20.
- NFL rule: Kick attempt from their own 35-yard line
- XFL rule: Traditional onside kicks at any time OR fourth-and-15 attempt from their own 25 inside the fourth quarter
The USFL is likely to continue to tweak these rules as the season grinds on. The XFL has provided a blueprint for some interesting rule changes, as well. Time will tell what the USFL adopts while still trying to keep itself distinctive moving forward.
