Difference Between Nfl And Xfl

But there are clear differences between the old XFL and new XFL, contrasting the statement McMahon wanted to make in 2001 with the different goals of the new incarnation. Begin with the ball. From All-XFL.com: “When it came time to decide what the 2001 XFL ball would look like, league officials were not going to settle on the same old. The main differences between The NFL and The XFL are as follows: 1. The opening coin toss rule was replaced with a “scramble” where one player from each team raced to take possession of the ball. During overtime, teams took turns trying to score from the opponents’ 20 yard line.

1. Xfl Rules Different From Nfl
2. Difference Between Nfl And Xfl
3. Difference Between Nfl And Xfl Field
4. Difference Between Nfl And Xfl 2020

It’s pretty obvious right away that the XFL is not the NFL. From the rules to the players to the quality of play, no this is not the NFL, but the XFL isn’t trying to emulate the top football league in the world. However, I will say that this is closer to a professional football league than the corny league we saw in 2001. Professional football is all about entertainment and making money, of course, but the original XFL was trying to insert the wacky world of professional wrestling into football. That is not the case in the XFL 2020, though there are some differences to give the audience something to talk about. That’s especially true when it comes to the rules of the XFL vs the NFL.

There were some innovations in the original XFL that we saw the NFL adapt. The most notable of all is the overhead camera on the field, known as the sky cam. This was a revolutionary addition to football broadcasts at the time, but it’s so commonplace now that no one gives it much thought. That was a Vince McMahon idea that made its way over to the NFL. The XFL also introduced the idea of putting mics on players.

If I recall correctly, the dialogue on the field was transmitting to TV in real-time. The NFL doesn’t do that, but they do have certain players mic’d up that they’ll replay on NFL programming after the fact. The XFL is taking microphones a step further, with interviews taking place in-game on the sidelines. As far as other memorable additions the XFL had was a cheerleading camera in the locker room, which seemed something out of the WWE playbook, scripted and all. The “coin toss”, or scramble for the ball, in the original XFL was new too, but didn’t stick in the NFL or the rebirth of the XFL. For ten differences between the XFL 2020 and NFL jump below.

1. Kickoffs

This rule was implemented with safety in mind by the XFL. The NFL is going to be watching to see if concussions on kickoffs decreases in the XFL. If that’s the case, don’t be surprised if the NFL steals this kickoff format from Vince McMahon’s league. The kickoff team and return team line up 5 yards apart in the receiving team’s side of the field on the 35-yard line and 30-yard line, while the kicker is in his normal position. Nobody is permitted to move besides the kicker and returner until the ball is caught. This takes away high speed collisions with players running at full speed into one another like in the NFL. In turn, we should see less concussions, and the XFL is hoping for some bigger plays from this as well.

The first kickoff return touchdown in XFL history was a work of art. pic.twitter.com/ocyKXmjYPX

— XFL (@xfl2020) February 24, 2020

2. Play Clock

The play clock in the NFL is 40 seconds. This provides the team with a good chunk of time to get settled if they’re not going with a hurry-up offense. This also allows teams to burn off a lot of clock if they have a lead late in games. Running the ball and killing the clock is a good strategy with a healthy lead in the 4th quarter (are you listening, Kyle Shanahan?). However, the XFL wants to speed things up and prevent teams from having the luxury of sitting on leads by draining the play clock out. The clock is only 25 seconds in the XFL, so offenses must go faster to keep things moving. This should translate to keeping fans more interested instead of having to wait over 30 seconds for a new play in the NFL. Think of hurry-up offenses in college and how fast they operate. The XFL is hoping that play resembles something like that.

3. Double Forward Pass

We are familiar with a lateral and pass behind the line of scrimmage in the NFL. It’s commonly used with the quarterback lateraling the ball to a running back or wide receiver, and then they pull the ball back for a pass. A flea flicker is perfectly legal in the NFL, too. What can’t happen is if the ball is passed forward, then the receiver cannot pass the ball again. It has to be a lateral first before another pass can be made, even if it’s behind the line scrimmage.

If the receiver catches the ball behind the line of scrimmage, and executes a pass, this is a perfectly legal play in the XFL. In other words, there can be two forward passes made behind the line of scrimmage in the XFL. There will be no debates if a quarterback threw a ball back instead of forward to a receiver in this league. Things should get pretty interesting, and offensive coordinators can get creative, with this wrinkle on offense.

? DOUBLE FORWARD PASS ?

The first time in XFL history we've seen a team take advantage of this rule.pic.twitter.com/iZK0UDp7ss

— Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 15, 2020

4. Point(s) After Touchdown

For the longest time, the NFL PAT was automatic for kickers. All they needed to do was hit a 20-yard field for a point. That was moved back to a 33-yard field goal in 2015 to make things a bit more difficult and interesting. In the XFL, they’ve removed kickers from the equation altogether. Offenses must stay on the field and go for either a 1-point, 2-point, or 3-point play. It’s simple, if you want to try for 1-point, a play will be run from the 2-yard line. For teams that want to attempt 2 points, they will have to go from the 5-yard line. A 3-point play will have to be converted from the 10-yard line. With this in place, teams will be capable of pulling off some big comebacks in the XFL.

5. Running Game Clock

A running game clock on incomplete passes is not new to professional football. This is a play taken out of the Arena Football playbook. In the NFL, the clock will stop on incomplete passes. Conversely, the XFL will keep the clock running to speed the game up. Also keep in mind that the clock won’t pause when runners go out of bounds. However, with under 2 minutes remaining in the game, then the clock will stop on incompletions.

6. Overtime Rules

The NFL evolved ever so slightly when it came to overtime. They got rid of sudden death with a field goal in 2012, allowing both teams to get a chance to score if a field goal is the first points on the board. However, if a touchdown is scored by a team, then the game is done. A portion of fans have been bargaining for both teams getting an opportunity with the ball regardless if a touchdown is scored on the opening drive. There hasn’t been any movement in that regard yet, but the XFL is attempting to make those fans happy.

The XFL is utilizing a five-round “shootout” format resembling something from the NHL. Each team gets five plays from the 5-yard line to score a touchdown. If each team is tied after their five opportunities, then it will go to sudden death overtime. This provides a fast overtime that is decided quickly, and both teams will have a chance with the ball in their hands. Out of all the differences between the XFL and NFL, this might be my favorite of the bunch.

7. Comeback Period (2-minute warning)

Teams will not be able to run the clock out under the 2-minute warning. Along with the 25-second play clock, which hurts teams with leads in the 4th quarter, the comeback period is another nuisance that teams with leads must look out for. When a team runs the ball with under 2 minutes remaining in the 2nd and 4th quarter, the game clock will stop until the ball has been spotted and 5 seconds has run off the play clock. If a team has no timeouts remaining and they’re behind in the game, then this rule helps them out a lot. Of course, in the NFL, timeouts are the only way to stop the clock on running plays after the 2-minute warning hits. The XFL is attempting to find some games that have some comeback magic in them with this addition.

8. Player Interviews

The media is unable to talk to players while the game is taking place in the NFL. Sideline reporters are able to get updates, and talk to coaches at halftime, but there aren’t in-game interviews taking place in the NFL. The XFL, which is one of the closest things to the old league, is trying to bring fans closer to the game. Players are not off limits and will be approached during the game. That includes microphones on players and coaches, which will be available to fans live during broadcasts. With regards to the NFL, they have mic’d up players and coaches, but isn’t relayed to fans until employees and producers have time to go through the footage for NFL programming after the game.

9. Video Replay Review Transparency

This has to do with how the XFL chooses to be transparent and allow viewers to eavesdrop on the review process for plays. Fans watching games will have the opportunity to listen to the conversation between the official on the field and the booth. There is also a camera positioned inside the review booth for fans to watch the process. This is much better than the NFL. We get no feedback during the review process. Networks have hired former officials to go through it with fans, but they’re shunned from listening in on the booth as well.

For all of the criticism that has been levied against NFL officiating lately, they’d likely benefit from allowing fans to hear what’s going on during a review. That said, I’m not too confident in the NFL adopting this perspective.

10. Offensive Coordinator Microphones

The XFL loves to try and insert fans into the game as much as possible, hence player interviews during the game and mics on officials and in the review booth. Along with those innovations, the XFL wants fans to hear what plays are being called into the huddle. Communication between coaches and the quarterback is fair game in the XFL. That’s a big no-no in the NFL. Listening in to play calls is strictly forbidden and would result in heavy fines and loss of draft picks.

In the XFL, everyone, including fans are allowed to hear the offensive coordinator and his play call. Not only is this more immersive for fans, but this is also going to provide a headache for coaching staffs. This adds another thing to worry about when preparing for a game. It’s imperative that names for plays are changed up week-to-week. So, this does provide an interesting angle and more work for offensive coordinators as they prepare for their next opponent.

In Conclusion

There are other differences between the NFL and XFL that I didn’t go over in the top ten. However, I think you will be most interested in watching out for those differences. For instance, each team has only two timeouts in a half compared to three in the NFL. Also, receivers only need one foot down instead of two. That follows the same rules as college football, which is intended to result in more offense.

I like a lot of these rules and quirks that the XFL has introduced. Notably, the overtime should be entertaining, and there isn’t going to be any complaining about getting a chance for the offense to touch the ball. The transparency during video replay reviews is a nice touch as well. All in all, I think the XFL did a great job of not getting too corny, though still finding ways to differentiate themselves from the NFL.

Are you interested in learning about the difference between the NFL and XFL? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve designed this page to equip you with all the information you need to know. In the guide below, we’ve included sections about rules, salaries, betting, and so much more.

Before we dive into things, we wanted to provide you with a quick look at all the topics we’ll cover in this guide about the XFL vs NFL. If you’d like to get the most out of this page, be sure to keep scrolling below to review everything we’ve included. However, you can click on any one of the subjects below if you’d prefer to jump ahead to it immediately.

XFL and NFL Rulebook Differences

You might be wondering about the NFL and XFL differences when it comes to the rules of the gameplay. In this section, we’re going to kick things off by discussing what’s similar between the two. Then, after that, we’ll move into talking about some of the ways the rules of the XFL and NFL vary. As you’ll see, some rulebook differences are quite significant.

Similarities Between XFL and NFL Rules

Up first, we wanted to include some of the primary ways in which the rules of the XFL and NFL are similar. Check out the details below to learn more.

• Field Size

Both the XFL and NFL will use the same 100-yard field.

• Four Downs

Both leagues utilize the same four downs to move the ball rule.

• Positions

The NFL and the XFL both have the same positions and number of players of offense and defense.

Differences Between XFL and NFL Rules

Now that we’ve talked about some of the significant similarities between the XFL rules vs NFL, we wanted to feature some of the main differences between the two. Check out the breakdowns below about the difference between the NFL and XFL.

Running Clock

With the XFL, the clock will run unless there’s a timeout or the two-minute warning. This is different from the NFL, where many things, including first downs, can stop the clock. The reason behind this is one of the XFL’s main goals was to ensure the game moved along much faster than a typical NFL game.

Timeouts

With the NFL, teams receive a total of three time outs for each half of the game. However, in the XFL, there are only two timeouts for each team per half.

Point After Plays

If you’re used to the NFL, then you’re familiar with the idea of kicked extra points after a touchdown. But, with the XFL, there are no kicked extra points. Instead, teams can try to earn between one and three extra points by making a play from the two, five, or 10-yard line.

Forward Passes

With the NFL, there can only be one forward pass each play. However, in the XFL, as long as the first forward pass is caught behind the line of scrimmage, another forward pass can be made. In total, this provides teams the chance to make two forward passes in the XFL.

Overtime Penalties

In the XFL, earning penalties during overtime will cost the teams more severely than if they occurred during regular play. With the NFL, there aren’t distinguishing penalties depending on when they happen.

Challenges

Coaches in the XFL won’t have the ability to make any coach’s challenges. This differs from the NFL, which does allow this option.

Kickoffs

Kickoffs in the XFL will vary quite a bit from what folks are used to with the NFL. Some of the major differences include where each of the teams can start, who can move and when, and what happens with touchbacks. The overall goal of these rule changes is to help make kickoffs safer for the players and to increase the number of returns compared to the NFL.

Catches

In the NFL, a catch requires that a player has both of their feet in bounds. However, with the XFL, a play can be ruled a catch as long as at least one foot or another portion of the player’s body makes contact with the field of play.

Punting

Punting rules also has some significant differences for the NFL vs XFL. For starters, with the XFL, the team that’s punting can’t cross the line of scrimmage until the ball is punted. In addition, XFL punts that go out of bounds or are touchbacks will be placed on the 35-yard line of the receiving team.

Overtime Format

One last way the rules of the XFL vs NFL differ relates to the format of overtime. If you’re familiar with soccer, things operate similar to a soccer shootout. In XFL overtime, each team will have five tries to score from the five-yard line. After all five attempts, the team with the most number of successful tries will win the game.

For a more in-depth look at XFL rules, don’t miss the link included below. Here, you’ll be able to gain additional insight into everything you need to know about the league’s rules.

The XFL as a Business

In this next section, we’re going to get you up to speed on the XFL as a business. Here, you’ll be able to learn about things like player and coach salaries as well as ticket prices. We’ll also stack things up between the XFL vs NFL to help you get an idea of how the two football leagues compare.

XFL Coach Salaries

To get this section started, we’re first going to present you with salary information for XFL coaches. After that, we’ve also added in details on how the XFL coaches fair in relation to NFL coaches.

With the return of the XFL being so fresh, there isn’t a ton of detailed data yet relating to the specifics of XFL coach salaries. However, the commissioner of the XFL, Oliver Luck, stated in a late 2019 interview that coaches in the XFL would have a salary amounting to around $500,000 per season. We expect former Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob Stoops will make more than all the other coaches, as he’s the most famous coach out of the eight head coaches.

Xfl Rules Different From Nfl

So, how does the estimate of $500,000 per season for XFL coaches stack up against NFL coaches? Well, as you probably expected, it’s quite a bit different. Some of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL, like Bill Belichick, earn more than $10,000,000 per season. However, the overall average across all NFL head coaches is around $6,000,000, according to Forbes. In turn, it means XFL coaches make, on average, less than 10% of what NFL coaches do.

Despite the large current gap in the pay for coaches between the NFL vs XFL, we expect the gap between the two should get smaller with time if the XFL can gain popularity. As the league generates more revenue, coaches should have the ability to earn significantly more.

XFL Player Salaries

Now that you’ve gotten a look at information relating to the XFL coaches’ salaries, we didn’t want to leave you without details about how the players themselves are doing. In this section, we’re going to stack up how the salaries for players in the XFL are compared to their NFL counterparts.

We’ll be honest, the salaries for XFL players aren’t all too exciting. According to Pro Football Talk, the XFL told player agents before the 2020 season that the average player salary would be around a mere $55,000 per season. No, that’s not a typo, you read that right.

The $55,000 figure is comprised of a base salary, bonuses for being active players on game day, and bonuses for being on a team that wins. However, it’s worth noting while we’re here, there have been some reported potential disputes relating to the pay players were actually seeing.

All of that said, Oliver Luck estimated top players within the XFL would be able to make upwards of $250,000. While this is a decent sum of money for the best players in the league, the overall player average is a figure which isn’t overly exciting for most.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to guess players in the NFL make more, on average, than XFL players. However, how much more do NFL players make each season? First up, let’s talk about what the top players in the NFL football league can make. For the 2019 season, the top 20 highest paid NFL players all made more than $20,000,000. That’s a stark difference from the estimate of $250,000 for the best players in the XFL.

However, the $20,000,000 figure is what the top players in the NFL make, not the average. For the NFL, the average player makes about $2,700,000 each season. When comparing that to the average XFL salary of just $55,000, it means NFL players make almost 50 times as much per year over XFL players.

As with the coach’s salaries, we don’t expect the XFL average salary will be low forever if the league can gain popularity. We hope to see player salaries rise as the league’s revenue climbs. In turn, the XFL could hope to attract more players when it becomes more attractive to play in the league.

XFL Ticket Prices

Finally, one last thing we wanted to provide you with in this portion of our XFL vs NFL page is how ticket prices differ. For most XFL teams, tickets start as low as $20 for the 2020 season. At the high end of things, prices tend to top out right around the $100 mark. On average, it seems most folks are paying somewhere around $30 to $40 to see a game this season.

Once again, things are much higher when it comes to ticket prices for an NFL game. On average, game tickets for the NFL come in around $102, according to Statista. In turn, this means average ticket prices for the NFL come in more than double that of the XFL league.

Will Betting on the XFL be Different Too?

Up next, we wanted to provide you with some color on how betting might differ between the XFL vs NFL. If you’re a seasoned NFL bettor, there are some things you’ll want to be aware of when betting on the XFL.

• Scoring Implications

If you’re a fan of betting on totals, you’ll want to take into account that scores from the XFL games will most likely be much higher than your typical NFL games. This is due to the changes the XFL made to help keep the game moving quickly and allowing players more time to score.

• Announcers

If you’ve never watched an XFL game before, one of the things which might surprise you is that the announcers will talk about the game’s spread and over/under as the match happens. It’s even shown on the screen. This is something you’ll never see from NFL announcers. In addition, since the coaches and players are aware this information is displayed, there’s a chance they might work harder to try and beat the spread to become a crowd favorite.

• Available Information

When betting on the XFL, there’s much less available information. For starters, many of the players on the teams are relatively unknown. This is in stark contrast to the NFL, where there are stats galore on each player. Also, with the shorter season for the NFL vs XFL, there’s less time for sports bettors to study the teams and players.

• Fewer Teams

With only eight teams in the XFL, it’s easier to study up on each team when compared to the 32 teams within the NFL.

• Kickoff and Punt Rules

With the XFL rules relating to punts and kickoffs, the goal is to drive more returns by players. In turn, XFL teams with better special teams and return units might have a more significant edge in the XFL than they would if they were in the NFL.

XFL Betting Sites vs NFL Betting Sites

The last section of our guide about the XFL vs NFL is centered around the topic of their respective betting sites. Even if you’ve got an existing NFL betting website, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s where you should do your XFL betting online. Keep reading below to make sure you end up working with a quality XFL betting site for your online wagers.

What You Should Look for in an XFL Betting Site

To kick this section off, we first wanted to educate you about what you should be looking for in an online XFL betting website. Below, we’ve provided a summary of some of the core things we think you’ll want to ensure an XFL betting site brings to the table.

Broad XFL Betting Options

One of the first things you should seek in an online XFL betting site is a comprehensive collection of XFL wagers. Here, you’re searching for a sports betting website with lots of options for betting on the XFL. Look for a variety of bet types to ensure everything you want is included.

Leading XFL Odds

Something else you should look for in an XFL betting websi te is competitive odds on the XFL league. If you’re new to online sports betting, you might not be aware of how much difference the lines can be between competing online sportsbooks.

Live XFL Betting

Next up, another vital aspect of a top XFL betting site is live betting. Otherwise known as in-play wagers, live betting allows you the chance to bet on the games as they happen, as opposed to just before the game starts. Using this type of bet can make betting on the XFL even more fun and entertaining.

XFL Bonuses

Lastly, one other important thing for you to look for when searching for an XFL betting site is bonuses applicable to XFL wagers. Seek online betting websites offering welcome and additional bonuses relevant to action on the XFL.

To view an expanded list of things to look for in an ideal XFL betting site, be sure to visit our primary online XFL betting websites page linked below.
XFL Betting Sites

Difference Between Nfl And Xfl

What’s Different From NFL Betting Sites?

You might be wondering what’s different between an online XFL betting site and an NFL one. While many NFL betting websites might offer action on the XFL, not all of them will. And, even if XFL wagers are included, you still want to ensure all our suggested criteria above are met. By looking for all these critical features, you’ll be sure you’ll have a quality XFL betting online experience as opposed to a subpar one.

Best Betting Sites for XFL and NFL Action

If you’re interested in betting on the NFL or XFL, check out the chart included below. Here, we’ve added a collection of trusted betting websites offering odds on both football leagues. Our team has analyzed each website to ensure these are the top options if you’re looking for online XFL or NFL betting sites. Each one of these suggestions meets all our suggested criteria from the start of this section, so we’re sure you’ll be pleased with your online betting experience.

XFL vs NFL FAQ

Difference Between Nfl And Xfl Field

Before we wrap things up, we wanted to add in some frequently asked questions about the XFL vs NFL. If you’re still in search of some details, we hope this section can help you find the information you’re looking for.

Final Words on XFL vs NFL

We hope you found all the information on this page about the NFL vs XFL helpful. If you enjoyed the details included here, you might also want to check out some of our other excellent guides relating to the XFL and the NFL. You can use the main website menu to explore everything we have to offer. Thanks for visiting our site, and best of luck with all your future XFL and NFL wagers!

Difference Between Nfl And Xfl 2020

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