New XFL rules include shootout-style OT, no XP kicks, 25-second play clock
by Michael McClymont from on (#4XJGG)
The second incarnation of the XFL is targeting a faster-paced game and more scoring based on some of the rules that will be used when the league kicks off next month.
The official rule book, unveiled Tuesday, features a number of notable changes from the NFL game.
Among them are:
- A running game clock that won't stop after incompletions or when a player goes out of bounds, except when two minutes or less remain in each half. The play clock will also be shortened to 25 seconds (after the ball is spotted) from the NFL's 40-second clock.
- No extra-point kicks. Instead, the scoring team will get the option to attempt a one-point play from the 2-yard line, a two-point play from the 5-yard line, or a three-point play from the 10-yard line.
- Like in college, only one foot is required to be considered in bounds on receptions.
- On a kickoff, only the kicker and returner are allowed to move until the ball is caught or three seconds after it hits the turf. The ball will be kicked from the 25-yard line, the return team will line up on their 30-yard line, and the coverage team will be just 5 yards away on the 35-yard line.
- A double-forward pass is allowed if the ball has yet to cross the line of scrimmage.
- No coin toss. The home team will get the option to kick, receive, or defer its decision at the beginning of the game. The visiting team gets the choice in overtime.
- Overtime will be conducted much like shootouts in soccer and hockey. Teams will rotate plays from the 5-yard line; the winner will be determined by the most successful tries after five rounds.
"What we did is listen to fans," XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "And what they told us is that they love this game, but they would like it at a little more of a faster pace and with a little more excitement."
The XFL's 10-week season will kick off on Feb. 8, six days after the NFL's Super Bowl.
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