The NFL has been torn on trying to ban the tush push over the past few seasons. The Philadelphia Eagles have seemingly perfected it, but some teams were mad about the play in general and lobbied the NFL to ban it. There was a vote, but it failed. Despite its failure in the NFL, the UFL took the opposite approach, deciding to ban it for its upcoming season.
The spring football league announced on Tuesday the rules they were changing for this year's season, and at the top of the list was banning the tush push in short yardage situations, and they also made field goals 60 yards or longer worth 4 points. The other big rule they changed was a ban on punting inside the 50-yard line outside the final two minutes of either half.
The UFL defines the tush push play as “a play in which, after the quarterback takes the snap, he immediately drives forward as the offensive line surges and is assisted by additional players behind him who physically push him forward into the surging offensive line.”
It is also worth noting that the NFL had no teams try to bring up the idea of banning the tush push this offseason after the vote failed last year.
The main reason for the changes in the UFL is to make it easier for offenses. It is also a way for viewers to find the league and see that it is different from the NFL. The field goal change is also something the NFL has talked about in the past.
“We're always looking to innovate but also maintain the integrity and the foundation of the game,” said Dean Blandino, the UFL's head of officiating. “The game that we want and the game that we've strived for is exciting, with a good flow, good pace, not a lot of stoppages, and really big plays. We're going to promote scoring.”
According to Blandino, the four-point field goal was largely the brainchild of Mike Repole, who joined the UFL last summer as an investor with full authority over business operations. Repole has taken a significant role on the football side as well, and he wanted to encourage teams to be as aggressive as possible once they cross midfield.
