The United States Football League kicks off this week, and the new spring league aims to entertain football fans with some fresh twists on traditional rules.
What rules are different in the USFL?
The USFL has unique rules regarding extra points, kickoffs, overtime, punts, and more.
1. Extra points
When a USFL team scores a touchdown, they have three options to try for extra points, including:
- One point for a successful kick from the 15-yard line.
- Two points for a successful scrimmage play from the two-year line
- Three points for a successful scrimmage play from the 10-yard line.
The USFL says these options should allow teams trailing by fewer than 10 points a chance at a comeback and add some late-game excitement, too.
2. Instant replays
The USFL will have a central replay center at FOX Sports in Los Angeles, where a singular crew makes all replay decisions. Each coach can issue a replay challenge once per game.
3. Kickoffs
In the USFL, teams will kickoff from the 25-yard line. The kicking team can not line up further back than the one-yard, and receiving teams must have at least eight players between their 35 and 45-yard lines in the set-up zone.
When a kickoff travels 20 yards, the receiving team must make the first touch. If untouched, the kick is, and the ball goes to the receiving team.
4. Onside kicks and scrimmage play
Teams trailing earn more chances to keep possession in the USFL.
Following a scoring play, teams can attempt a standard 25-yard-line onside kick or run the ball on fourth down and 12 from their 33-yard-line. If the team makes a first down, they retain possession, and otherwise, the ball goes to the defense.
5. Overtime
USFL overtimes are sure to be exciting. The spring league has opted for a best-of-three shootout to decide games. Each team will alternate offense from the two-yard line. During this shootout, a successful scoring attempt will reward a team with two points.
The team with the most points after three plays wins the game. If it's still undecided at that point, it becomes sudden death, and the next team to score wins.
6. Punts
The USFL aims to have fewer penalties, injuries, and enhanced player safety. For this reason, gunners can't line up outside the numbers, and they can't be double-teamed or blocked until the ball is kicked.
7. Timing
The USFL wants to see more offense in its variant, so the league has decided they will stop the clock for first downs inside two minutes of the second and fourth quarters.
8. Penalties
The USFL is making tweaks to how it hands out penalties.
Defensive pass interference
To make pass interference less punitive, the USFL mirrors college football. There are exceptions, however. Defenders intentionally tackling receivers beyond 15 yards becomes a spot foul. It will also spot foul if the penalty happens 15 yards or fewer from the line of scrimmage or a 15-yard penalty from the line of scrimmage if the spot of the foul is beyond 15 yards.
Offensive pass interference
To add more offense, but not undermine USFL defenses, if a pass doesn't cross the line of scrimmage, there can be no pass interference or ineligible player downfield penalties.
Two forward passes
To add excitement and trick-play potential to USFL games, teams will be allowed to throw two forward passes from behind the line of scrimmage.
