UFL 2024 Rules

[MarkNelson]

ARLINGTON, TX — February 13, 2024 — The United Football League (UFL) will continue to build on the innovation of both the XFL and USFL with its rules for the 2024 season.

The UFL has adopted several innovative rules from both previous leagues to deliver an exciting, fast-paced game with plenty of action.

The UFL has adopted the XFL's points after-touchdown options. Kickoffs will resemble the USFL's more traditional-style play, with a modification moving the kickoff line back to the 20-yard line.

Slight modifications have been made to the rules that overlapped, including alternate possession options in the fourth quarter. Both leagues implemented opportunities in 2023 for teams that are trailing or if the scores are tied. In 2024, the UFL will offer a 4th-and-12 from the 28-yard line.

2024 UFL RULES HIGHLIGHTS

Points After Touchdown

Teams will have three scrimmage play (run/pass) options following a touchdown.

• 2-yard line = 1 point for a successful try
• 5-yard line = 2 points for a successful try
• 10-yard line = 3 points for a successful try

Kickoffs

Kickoffs will look like more traditional college/NFL kickoffs but will take place from the 20-yard line of the kicking team. A kickoff out of bounds will give possession to the receiving team 30 yards from the spot of the kickoff or at the spot where the ball went out of bounds. A kickoff that is untouched by the receiving team may only be recovered by the kicking team up to 20 yards from the spot of the kick.Other Kicking/Touchback

Rules

All touchbacks on kicks (punts or kickoffs) will be placed at the receiving team's 25-yard line. Any punt that goes out of bounds inside the receiving team's 25-yard line will be considered a touchback and placed at the 25-yard line. Non-kicking touchbacks will also be placed at the 25-yard line.

Alternate Possession Option

While onside kicks are allowed at any time during the game, teams will have an alternate option to retain possession in the fourth quarter. If a team is tied or behind during the fourth quarter, it may elect to retain possession after a score with a 4th-and-12 from its own 28-yard line.

Two Forward Passes

Teams will be allowed, as they were in both leagues last season, to throw two forward passes on one play. The ball cannot cross the line of scrimmage at any time prior to the second forward pass being thrown.

Catch Definition

A completed catch or interception is defined as a player securing control of the ball prior to the ball touching the ground; and touching the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.

Defensive Pass Interference

Defensive pass interference will result in a 15-yard penalty or a spot foul if the foul occurred less than 15 yards downfield. Intentional defensive pass interference will result in a spot foul if it is beyond 15 yards downfield.

Replay Reviews

Designated members of the officiating department may stop a game at any time before the ball is next legally put in play to review a play if the play is reviewable, there is reasonable evidence to believe an error was made in the initial ruling and it would have a direct, competitive impact on the game. These reviews will be made from a secure location separate from the site of the game. Any call or non-call related to player safety is also subject to review at any point during the game, as well as any officiating ruling in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime that is obviously incorrect and will have a significant impact on the outcome of the game.

Coach Challenges

Each coach may challenge any ruling, including fouls or potential fouls, one time during the course of a contest, provided the team has a timeout remaining. A successful challenge will not result in a loss of a timeout, while the timeout is lost if the challenge is unsuccessful.OvertimeOvertime will consist of alternating attempts to score from the opponent's 5-yard line with no kicks allowed. It will be a best-of-three format or until a winner has been determined.

The rules are available for download in PDF format: UFL Rules 2024

[MarkNelson]

The PAT rules are XFL style, as Moose Johnston revealed. The complaining has already begun.

[MGB01]

The PAT rules are XFL style, as Moose Johnston revealed. The complaining has already begun.

 

Well of course they do, that's what the media taught them to do. And unfortunately it's a catch-22 (you wrote an article wondering why the XFL didn't respond to false attacks in September): you respond to them, you give them life; you let it go, you look weak. In that case you press through and "protect the shield" so to speak. This will pass, which is far preferrable to having the same p-fights two weeks later that do nothing but take away from the product.

Not really a fan of the punt touchback IRT out inside the 25, it takes away a huge chunk of the pinning strategy and all but kills directional punting. Although as we saw the other night your blockers must be aware and this raises the stakes. So there's that. 

Totally wasn't a fan of either league kowtowing to the Mike Florios (whose very existence comes from the above group) of the world on the endzone fumble thing, and disappointed to see it continue. Even worse, when it did happen I don't remember any big congratulatory Florio articles on it "Now this is the way it's supposed to be!", never happened. The endzone is a touchback, period (also the end of a possession). If you fumble at the 1 and nobody recovers, it isn't. What's next, we start doing that with kickoffs and punts, give it to the kicking team at the 1?

Other than that I'm pretty much OK with all.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

The PAT rules are XFL style, as Moose Johnston revealed. The complaining has already begun.


 

Well of course they do, that's what the media taught them to do. And unfortunately it's a catch-22 (you wrote an article wondering why the XFL didn't respond to false attacks in September): you respond to them, you give them life; you let it go, you look weak. In that case you press through and "protect the shield" so to speak. This will pass, which is far preferrable to having the same p-fights two weeks later that do nothing but take away from the product.

Not really a fan of the punt touchback IRT out inside the 25, it takes away a huge chunk of the pinning strategy and all but kills directional punting. Although as we saw the other night your blockers must be aware and this raises the stakes. So there's that. 

Totally wasn't a fan of either league kowtowing to the Mike Florios (whose very existence comes from the above group) of the world on the endzone fumble thing, and disappointed to see it continue. Even worse, when it did happen I don't remember any big congratulatory Florio articles on it "Now this is the way it's supposed to be!", never happened. The endzone is a touchback, period (also the end of a possession). If you fumble at the 1 and nobody recovers, it isn't. What's next, we start doing that with kickoffs and punts, give it to the kicking team at the 1?

Other than that I'm pretty much OK with all.

You can play it both ways, though:

Forward fumbles always go back to the spot of the fumble. If it goes through the opposing end zone,  it isn't?

A fumble going out of bounds, the offensive team retains possession. If it goes out of bounds through the opposing  end zone,  they don't?

A player bats the ball through his team's own end zone, the other team scores two points. If that player bats it out of the other team's hand through his own end zone,  his team wins possession and 20 free yards?

[4th&long]

The PAT rules are XFL style, as Moose Johnston revealed. The complaining has already begun.



 

Well of course!   I never liked the yardage that XFL 2020 used for the tries and lack of kick.  The USFL is mostly XFL PAT rules replacing the 1pt try from 2yd line with a kick and moving up the 2pt try to the 2pt like the NFL. 
I like the 3 pt try cause it can keep games alive (barely) but 2 pt from the 5 has the opposite effect.

If you're trying to make it more exciting - make it more cost beneficial.  To get 2pts from the 5yd line seems too harsh, and the 10yd line from both leagues is too far.  IMO. 

How about 1 pt from the 1, 2pt from the 2 or 3yd and 3 pts from the 5 or 6 yrd line. 

[MGB01]

The PAT rules are XFL style, as Moose Johnston revealed. The complaining has already begun.



 

Well of course they do, that's what the media taught them to do. And unfortunately it's a catch-22 (you wrote an article wondering why the XFL didn't respond to false attacks in September): you respond to them, you give them life; you let it go, you look weak. In that case you press through and "protect the shield" so to speak. This will pass, which is far preferrable to having the same p-fights two weeks later that do nothing but take away from the product.

Not really a fan of the punt touchback IRT out inside the 25, it takes away a huge chunk of the pinning strategy and all but kills directional punting. Although as we saw the other night your blockers must be aware and this raises the stakes. So there's that. 

Totally wasn't a fan of either league kowtowing to the Mike Florios (whose very existence comes from the above group) of the world on the endzone fumble thing, and disappointed to see it continue. Even worse, when it did happen I don't remember any big congratulatory Florio articles on it "Now this is the way it's supposed to be!", never happened. The endzone is a touchback, period (also the end of a possession). If you fumble at the 1 and nobody recovers, it isn't. What's next, we start doing that with kickoffs and punts, give it to the kicking team at the 1?

Other than that I'm pretty much OK with all.

You can play it both ways, though:

Forward fumbles always go back to the spot of the fumble. If it goes through the opposing end zone,  it isn't?

A fumble going out of bounds, the offensive team retains possession. If it goes out of bounds through the opposing  end zone,  they don't?

A player bats the ball through his team's own end zone, the other team scores two points. If that player bats it out of the other team's hand through his own end zone,  his team wins possession and 20 free yards?

If a ball's fumbled through the endzone, the endzone is essentially an extra defender. Thankfully this only happened once, and it was basically the Leon Lett play (end of a blowout so no one was really affected) but what if the game was 28-23 instead of 28-3 at that point?

The incomplete pass argument that they used was a strawman, a forward pass is not a loose ball and never was.

As far as the last one, only if there's a change of possession.

The worst thing about this is it isn't even football-related. It's all to preserve "relationships" and some lame hope that a waning influence blogger trotted out as an NFL insider would provide coverage to the league (talk about low targets). He didn't for the CFL when they were on NBC(SN) in 2011-12, and as predicted he didn't lift a finger for the USFL (and even if NBC remained involved as a third network or eventually returns, the coverage would be the same as it is this very moment on PFT, zero).

Hopefully this comes up as much as it did last year or even less.

[4th&long]

Here's a nice touch by Fox on FS1 - UFL on crawl during GT Creighton CBB game list UFL and scrolling thru major rules.

Nice !

[XFL4ever]

The punting rules stink. If you angle a punt out-of-bounds to pin the defense deep in their territory (inside the 25 yl), it's considered a touchback.