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With the NFL season ending a couple of weeks ago, the spotlight was shone on the unique ways of the XFL. It's basically the same sport… just with some different rules in place. It's made for some really interesting plays from the perspective of an NFL fan, and has challenged the current rulebook in the league.
Which of these wacky XFL rules should the NFL add to their rulebook in some capacity? Some of these are purely for the entertainment of players, while others have more practical uses for teams, so to speak.
Challenge Flag
Officiating in the NFL is a touchy subject for many viewers of the sport. No matter who's playing, both fanbases feel like the referees are taking control of the game a little too much. For example, pass interference calls have been a pet peeve for many coaches. PI calls are some of the most damning calls in the league: when called on a defensive player, the offense gets an automatic first down and gets the ball on the sport of the foul.
In the NFL, coaches are NOT allowed to challenge pass interference calls (or other judgment calls like holding or roughing the passer). That's not the case in the XFL though: literally any play can be challenged with a red flag. If the league wants to fix its product, then this move should be a no-brainer.
Kick-off Returns, XFL-style!
Kick-offs are quite possibly the most unnecessarily dangerous play in the NFL. Both teams start at opposite ends of the field, and have free reign to charge at each other at full speed. Many players have suffered injuries while trying to do a good job in the special teams department. Concussions, sprained ankles, you name it.
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The XFL, though, has rules in place to try and mitigate player injuries. Their kick-off starts off normally: a placekicker tries to hit the ball way back into enemy territory. However, unlike in the NFL, XFL rules state that the other special team players must not move until the reutrner catches the ball.
In addition, the XFL rules give more potential for a returning team to gain massive ground. This is another rule that the NFL should adopt (or at least consider really heavily).
4th-and-15 all day!
Coming back from behind is never an easy thing, and the NFL is no exception. Theoretically, a team can hold the ball for as long as they need to if they're able to move the chains every fourth down or so. This forces the team from behind to try out wacky stuff, including onside kicks. These are kicks that are hit intentionally short to give the kicking team a chance to get the ball.
However, rule changes in the NFL make recovering onside kicks even harder for the kicking team. The success rate for onside kicks have plummeted to under 10 perfect The XFL rule book ands another method for teams to come back from behind, though: every fourth quarter after a team has scored, the said team can attempt a 4th-and-15 from their own 25-yard line to keep possession. It's simple: convert, and you get another possession to score more point. Fail, and you shoot yourself in the foot and kill your chances at winning.
This XFL rule would be an amazing addition to the NFL rule book, albeit with a couple of key changes needed. 4th-and-15 is a difficult task, but it's not necessarily an ultra-low percentage play for NFL teams. The suggestion floating around is for the distance to be changed from 4th-and-15 to 4th-and-20 or 25. Doing that would make end of games so much more interesting to watch: anything can quite literally happen.
