XFL rules differences

[RyanChristiansen]

Some interesting rules differences planned for the XFL. They claim their kickoff rule will make returns safer and make big returns more possible. The double forward pass behind the line of scrimmage is interesting.

https://www.bing.com/amp/s/www.sporting ... 6993zxdynx

[lastcat3]

Yeah saw a youtube video about it. I'm really having doubts though if this league is even going to be able to finish the initial season. I don't see virtually any hype for this league at all and it is kicking off in only a month.

[Mark L. Ford]

Interesting ideas, but the possibility of a touchdown and conversion for 9 points, the soccer-like "shootout" for overtime and the "catch-up" chance are a bit too far out.

[sheajets]

I just hope the NFL dismisses this clown show 2.0 in every which way and doesn't consider any of these rule changes. Yes some tweaking regarding the NFL is needed, but it's to get rid of the defenseless player BS and erring on the side of the flag every time something borderline happens. These changes are more bizarre gimmickry. They don't make the actual game better

[JameisLoseston]

Yeah saw a youtube video about it. I'm really having doubts though if this league is even going to be able to finish the initial season. I don't see virtually any hype for this league at all and it is kicking off in only a month.

I think Vinny has plenty of dough to at least make it through one season. This isn't like the AAF. But beyond that it's going to be less about ability and more a cost-benefit analysis of whether it's worth it to keep going another season. Time will tell to that end and it's going to have A LOT to do with the popularity of the fantasy product.

[74_75_78_79_]

Did more-than peek a bit at each affair today; and likely will tomorrow as well. Didn't think I'd watch at all, as I said to my coworkers this week. Of course I'd rather the kickoffs stay exactly as they always have been. But if it may, perhaps, inspire the NFL to not get rid of kickoffs completely, then I guess it's better than nothing. Still, my interest in football is further and further withering and such rule changes won't help. Can't really see how good kick returns in-general can be maximized with these XFL rules.

Not crazy at all with the no-extra-point; these 'pick-one-of-three' type of conversions! Simply make it an extra-point-attempt (after all, each team has...a kicker) or a basic 2-pointer; nothing else! Interviewing players and coaches on the sideline during play is a bit far-out. I know they do that in MLB, with the coaches at least, but still.

However, I was impressed with the fan-enthusiasm. The DC-fans were booing like crazy when the kicker missed a kick. The coaches of all eight teams are worth mention. Perhaps not real successful in the NFL as HCs, but still. You got back-to-back CFL champ, Marc Trestman amongst them! If I'm even going to seriously embark on following this league, I guess the team I'd 'pick' would be the Seattle Dragons. I dig the unis, Dragons on their helmets. Sort-of reminds me of the 'Dragon' on my favorite gameshow as a kid, Tic Tac Dough, hosted by Wink Martindale. Plus, was a fan of Jim Zorn when he played for the Hawks (had his card) and also rooted for him when he HC'd the Redskins.

Like how the divisions and the regular season is set up. As for playoffs...I wish it would simply be the conference champs playing against each other two weeks after the season ends. This way, if two teams in a division are tied, they simply play in a tie-breaker a la 1950 Browns/Giants, Rams/Bears the week after. Either you get one playoff game which would be the championship, or a 'bonus' of a tie-breaker game or two. Not too into top-two teams in each 4-team conference playing each other no matter the record. Better than CFL which has six teams making playoffs though. LESS-THAN half teams making playoffs in any sport is what I always prefer! And many of you in here want even less which I can also jive with.

I guess it's better that this league starts right after the NFL as opposed to the USFL out of respect that if it starts later, they risk competing with NHL/NBA playoffs - also dealing with hot-weathered late-season/playoff games as well.

[lastcat3]

Watched a little bit of the games yesterday and think I am pretty much done. If you want to watch quarterbacks throw erratically and receivers drop the ball a little too often go watch college football where it doesn't try to call itself a 'professional' league. And honestly not sure it is a good sign that this league will be able to keep fans around when the fans are booing the home team in the very first game they play.

[RyanChristiansen]

I watched some. I thought the broadcast for the D.C./SEA game was poor because they raised up the audience noise artificially high. You see this on SNF/MNF games, of course, but they do a better job of it somehow. The on-field interviews with players is interesting, but again in the D.C./SEA game they had the audience volume up so high you couldn't understand some of the players, and putting a microphone on Jim Zorn was incredibly boring. He's a man of few words, I must say. It was interesting to hear which plays were being called, but the terminology is too complicated for a high percentage of fans. I noticed before one play the guys in the booth drew route guesses on the screen, but they were totally wrong.

I agree, the level of play was ho-hum, but there was more excitement in the L.A./HOU game with P.J. Walker at quarterback for the Roughnecks. And I really like Houston's uniforms. I don't know how they got away with a logo that is so reminiscent of the Oilers logo, but I like it, and I like the stars on the sleeves that remind you of the early Cowboys. And I like the chrome helmets. I sort of like the Seattle Dragons uniforms, which remind me of the Miami Hurricanes. The L.A. uniforms are god-awful in my opinion, but the D.C. uniforms are solid.

What I noticed most, however, was how the league was not at all over-the-top. I sort of want something a little more cartoonish out of this league given its roots are in the WWE. Heck, we didn't even have the raunchy cheerleaders. Overall, I'm not sure who the audience is for this league. I'm thinking the ones who will stick with it the longest are guys in the NFL and CFL who are in their offseasons or maybe college players thinking about future opportunities or people who are dedicated to following certain individuals who played on their favorite college teams, but that total audience is quite small. I'm pining for baseball.

[lastcat3]

Looks like the opening weekend of games had similar viewership as the opening games of AAF (just slightly higher which makes sense since the XFL would be able to draw in more wresting fans than a regular upstart league would). Week 1 ratings don't mean much though as that consists of a lot of people just checking it out. The telling statistic will be if it is able to hold on to that audience or if people quickly tune out and forget all about the league.

Most of these leagues ratings fall off a cliff after week 1. TBD if XFL 2.0 does the same.

[sheajets]

One of the first plays I saw the other day (at the Metlife Stadium game, not sure the names of the teams but one was wearing neon clownsuits)

Perfectly clean hit down the middle on a pass completion, and out come the flags once again penalizing good quality textbook hitting (no targeting, no leading with the helmet) because they deem somebody "defenseless". The TV went off immediately.