If – if – you’re one of the few people who don’t seem to be aware of the significance of this weekend to the sports climate, shame on you.
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments continue, of course, and It’s the debut of the United Football League – the UFL – that, to so many in football, is the major headline.
Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia are going against the grain, having merged the XFL and the newest incarnation of the United States Football League (USFL) to form the UFL, with eight franchises – Arlington, Houston, San Antonio, St. Louis, Memphis, Birmingham, Michigan (Detroit) and Washington, D.C.’s DC Defenders – set to hopefully take the football world by storm in a 10-week regular season that begins Saturday.
We’ll have previews here on Friday on TFB of every single game scheduled for this weekend, and in case you haven’t heard, here’s the lineup: Birmingham Stallions at Arlington Renegas (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, noon Central, at Choctaw Stadium (formerly the Ballpark at Arlington), broadcast on FOX, and on FOX Sports on SiriusXM); St. Louis Battlehawks at Michigan Panthers (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET / 3 Central at Ford Field in Detroit, broadcast on FOX, and on FOX Sports on SiriusXM); D.C. Defenders at San Antonio Brahmas (Sunday, noon ET / 11 a.m. Central at The Alamodome; broadcast on ESPN and on ESPN Xtra on SiriusXM); and the Memphis Showboats at Houston Roughnecks (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET / 2 Central at Rice Stadium in Houston, broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Xtra on Sirius).
Here’s our own Joe Hale on how this league has the potential to succeed at spring football (FROM THE PRESS BOX by JOE HALE | The UFL will offer the very best version ever of spring football | The Football Beat)
Some need-to-know information about the UFL…
Familiar faces: Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is returning in Arlington; Skip Holtz is concentrating on keeping Birmingham in the mix for another championship; and Wade Phillips, a phenomenal defensive coordinator when in the NFL, the son of the legendary “Bum” Phillips, is back on the sidelines in San Antonio.
And that’s just three of the coaches that call the UFL home. Here’s a rundown of the eight UFL coaching staffs, from our website a few weeks back: UFL announces coaches, staffs | The Football Beat.
Rules, rules and more rules – but they’re pretty cool: The UFL has a few differences from some of the football that fans have grown accustomed to, but they might just be trend-setters if things fall into place correctly.
Let’s hit the high spots.
Extra points, touchdowns
Kickers don’t get extra points after touchdowns in the UFL.
For an extra point, teams try to get the ball into the end zone from the 2-yard-line, what’s normally thought of as a two-point conversion.
If you do it from the 2, it’s a point. If you do that from the 5, it’s good for two points. And it’s good for three points if you make it from the 10.
Two forward passes on one play
Just like the XFL and the USFL did a season ago, the UFL will allow teams to throw two forward passes on both play. Not more than two, but two are allowed.
Onside kicks and alternative possessions.
The UFL allows onside kicks, of course, but there’s also what they refer to as the alternative possession option. If a team is tied, or trails in the fourth quarter, it can try to keep the ball by attempting a fourth-down and 12 conversion from their own 28-yard-line. Failure means possession turns over to your opponent, though, at your 28.
Kickoffs, touchbacks
The NFL has been changing this, and did so again this offseason, on multiple occasions in recent years.
In the UFL, kickoffs are from a team’s own 20-yard-line. Touchbacks allow receiving teams to take possession at their own 25-yard-line. A punt that goes out of bounds inside the 25-yard-line is considered a touchback and placed at the 25.
Defensive pass interference
Similar to what you’ve seen in the NFL, the UFL has the same defensive pass interference rule, a spot foul: if a defensive back interferes with a receiver on a 60-yard pass, the ball goes to the point of interference.
If the foul is less than 15 yards downfield, it’s a 15-yard penalty.
Replay, and coaches’ challenges
The UFL does have instant replay, and coaches have challenges: one time in the game IF they have a time out left. You lose the challenge, you lose the time out.
There is instant replay, and a designated member the officiating crew can stop a game for review at any time before a play begins. The reviews are at secure location, not where the game is being played.
Overtime
The UFL has overtime, in this format: the two teams receive alternating attempts from their opponent’s 5-yard-line, no kicks allowed, a best-of-three format – according to the league rules – until the winner has been determined.
If you’d like to go straight to the source, and read all about the league rules, they’re available for download in PDF format right here: UFL Rules 2024
The app: The United Football League is doing its best to change the way we all think about spring football.
The best way to do that? Keep the public informed, give them all the information you can, and then some, and make it available 24-7, 365 days a year.
Well, guess what? There’s an app for that.
Available for download on both iOS and Android devices, the UFL app is, from the press release that announced its debut, “designed to serve as the ultimate companion for fans of the UFL both in team markets and nationwide,” and is “packed with features that provide comprehensive coverage from around the league.”
According to the league, the app will “provide UFL fans real-time updates, accessing exclusive content, or connecting with fellow fans, our app ensures that every interaction is tailored to reflect the unique spirit and identity of each team.”
In addition to stats and scores updating in real time, the app also will provide fans an outlet for purchasing tickets and managing all things ticket-related, and in addition, has a UFL Shop to get official UFL gear.
“The UFL app is essential for maximizing the fan experience both in our team markets and nationwide,” said Scott Harniman, SVP Technology for the UFL, in the league’s statement on the app’s debut. “Not only does it include all of the features fans expect from a premier professional sports league, but as innovation continues to be a pillar for the UFL, we’re working with our fantastic partners at YinzCam to bring even more unique experiences into the UFL app throughout the season.”
Radio coverage: If you’re driving on the weekend and can’t watch the game, the league is bringing it to you on SiriusXM Radio.
The league announced its partnership with SiriusXM – specifically, the games broadcast by Fox Sports will be simulcast on Fox Sports Radio on SiriusXM channel 83, and games that are on ESPN will air on ESPN Xtra on Sirius channel 81.
We’re all familiar with SiriusXM by now. The Sirius brand has a combined monthly audience of approximately 150 million listeners.
