UFL To Unveil Rules, Game Ball, Relaunch Website This Week

With the Super Bowl concluding the NFL season, the United Football League plans on making a series of league announcements this week.

The Super Bowl may mean the end of the NFL season, but in the afterglow comes the ramp-up toward the new United Football League launching in March.

The UFL's eight teams report to training camp Feb. 24 in Arlington, Texas, in preparation for the newly merged league's first season kicking off March 30.

The UFL is expected to have a series of announcements to help hype up the league's kickoff, starting with the unveiling of their rulebook this coming week. The league is also expected to relaunch its website (theufl.com), with an updated UFL shop, as well as reveal its new game ball.

When you get sad that football ends tomorrow... just remember that it doesn't 💥

🔜 https://t.co/wWT8t6eaho pic.twitter.com/gyWatDKUKD

— United Football League (@TheUFL) February 10, 2024

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However, the announcement that will garner the most interest is the league's rulebook. 

The hybrid XFL-USFL is expected to have a combination of the two league's rules —  a process headed up by the heads of officiating, Dean Blandino and Mike Pereira. 

The USFL and XFL shared rulebook similarities in 2023, like the double forward pass, three-point conversions, overtime shootout format, timing and review rules, etc. The two leagues borrowed concepts established from the XFL in 2020 and even the AAF in 2019 (Sky judge review system/fourth down onside attempt).

Compromise seems to be the word of the day in the newly-branded UFL, with the XFL's unique and unorthodox kickoff being left on the chopping block. The irony is that both the NFL and Canadian Football League decision-makers have done extensive studies on the merits of the XFL kickoff, with the idea of potentially adopting it for their leagues. 

The USFL's more traditional-looking kickoff (from the 25-yard line) has made the cut. It's something that UFL executive vice president of football operations Daryl Johnston fought hard to keep. 

A must-have aspect that the now-veteran football executive, FOX broadcaster, and Dallas Cowboys legend revealed in several appearances during media week at the Super Bowl festivities in Las Vegas. 

“One of the big things that we fought hard for was our (USFL) kickoff. We did not like a stationary kickoff. We just felt that it didn’t look like football.” - Daryl Moose Johnston to The Next Round Live YouTube Show.

Other UFL rules that have been revealed publicly by Johnston, league coaches, and personnel in various media appearances over the last few weeks are:

• The XFL three-tier extra point system remains in the UFL with no extra point kicks. Tries from the 2-yard line for one point, the 5-yard line for two, and the 10-yard line for three-point attempts remain.
• The UFL would utilize the rule where a team may opt for a fourth down-and-12 scrimmage play instead of an onside kick. The play attempt would be from a team's own 28-yard line.
• The UFL will have two feet in bounds constituting a catch, something the USFL had the last two seasons, rather than the XFL's collegiate one-foot-in-bounds rule. 

It remains to be seen if there are any other new alterations or innovations adopted. The two former leagues have become a proving ground for technology-based rules that aid game flow and officiating. 

The UFL, through its partners, FOX and Disney, has used their reach to promote the league's upcoming launch during NFL and college football programming, as well as having commercials air on FOX, ABC, and ESPN. 

However, staying on the radar and getting attention has always been a challenging task for pro football leagues not named the NFL. 

The new timeline for spring pro football in 2024 isn't directly after the NFL season ends during the winter. In the recent past, leagues like the AAF and XFL have tried to capitalize on the quick aftermath of the Super Bowl by starting a week after the smoke cleared. 

Because they are genuinely launching in the spring, the UFL has some added time to gain attention and build interest.

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