Here is all you need to know about the United Football League (UFL) rules and regulations
The former chiefs of officiating for the USFL and XFL, Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino, are collaborating to establish the foundation for the UFL’s regulations and officiating rules.
United Football League (UFL) rules and format in 2024
Last season, the USFL and XFL adopted several of the same rules as the 2020 XFL, such as timing regulations, overtime shootouts, and double-forward passes.
The Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions, the previous winners of each league, will square off on March 30, 2024, to kick off the UFL’s inaugural campaign. Following quiet seasons for each, the XFL and USFL first declared their intention to combine in September.
June 8, 2024, will mark the beginning of the postseason, which will end on June 15, 2024, with the 2024 UFL Championship. The UFL’s officiating and regulations will be overseen by Mike Pereira and Dean Blandino.
All eight teams will play in their respective markets on February 24, 2024, when the league will hold training camps. The two conferences that make up the league are the USFL Conference and the XFL Conference, each of which is an extension of its original league.
With no bye weeks, each team will play ten games: two at home and one away from conference rivals, as well as one each from each other conference team. There will be four teams in the postseason.
A look at the rules
One of the XFL’s ideas won’t be carried over to the new league. In general, kickoffs will resemble those in the NFL and college. Instead of waiting until the receiving team catches the ball before engaging, as was the case in the XFL, teams will now be able to kick off from their 20-yard line and move downfield.
The NFL is rightfully against considering adopting the contentious and unconventional XFL kickoff, which has an equal number of fans and critics. Safety and returnability are two key components of the NFL’s future kickoff vision, and the kickoff has demonstrated its ability to increase both.
In the playoffs, the two top clubs, regardless of conference, as well as the regular season conference winners will participate.
With NFL executive VP of football ops Troy Vincent acting as a go-between for the two leagues, it’s likely that rules the NFL would like to see experimented with will see the light of day in the UFL.