• Xfl Football Rules Vs Nfl
• Xfl Rules Vs Nfl

The final gameplay innovation introduced in the new rules for the XFL is related to the overtime rules. The current NFL rules can be frustrating for several reasons. For a start, one of the team’s offense might never enter the field. The game also could last for 27 minutes and end in a tie. An XFL football is shown during the XFL team's opening practice at TDECU Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019, in Houston. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer. XFL rules to know.

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.

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

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

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!

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Football fans typically reserve this week as a time for mourning. The Super Bowl is over. The next meaningful NFL game is eight months away. But in 2020, the XFL hopes to swoop into that void.

The new eight-team league will kick off this weekend, targeting the hardcore audience that would otherwise have begun a late-winter hibernation. What follows is everything you need to know about the XFL, from its talent level to game philosophy to its quirky post-touchdown and overtime rules. And once you're prepped, be sure to watch the league's first game on Saturday, when Seattle faces DC at 2 p.m. ET (ABC). OK, let's get started.

Jump to:
Basics Rules Players

We've seen these new leagues come and go for years. Why should anyone think the XFL will survive?

Who knows if it will? Last year's Alliance of American Football (AAF) catastrophe was yet another reminder of how difficult it is to build a football league. But the XFL does have one advantage that the AAF and most other alternative leagues have lacked: real money. It is backed by WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, whose personal net worth is estimated by Forbes magazine to be $2.2 billion. In theory, the XFL will have the financial cushion to develop its product over multiple years.

But what makes McMahon think his money will be well spent?

The foundation of the XFL's resurrection is a study performed three years ago by the McKinsey Global Institute. It suggested that some 40 million hardcore NFL fans want more football after the Super Bowl. That study prompted McMahon to pursue the antithesis of the 2001 version of the XFL. He wanted a serious, football-focused, gimmick-free league, and he hired one of the country's most respected sports administrators -- Oliver Luck -- to run it as the league's commissioner.

OK, tell me the basics.

Teams are spaced around the country. Seven are in current NFL cities, and the eighth is in St. Louis, which hosted the NFL's Rams from 1995 to 2015. The teams will play in a combination of NFL, NCAA, Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball facilities.

Xfl Football Rules Vs Nfl

Each team will play 10 games on Saturdays and Sundays between Feb. 8 and April 12. Four teams will advance to the playoff semifinals April 19-20, and the XFL Championship will be played April 26 -- the day after the 2020 NFL draft concludes. Ticket prices vary, but generally speaking, XFL executives have hoped to cap a trip to the game for a family of four at $100.

What are the XFL teams? Where will each play?

• Dallas Renegades (Globe Life Park, former home of MLB's Texas Rangers)

• D.C. Defenders (Audi Field, MLS)

• Houston Roughnecks (TDECU Stadium, NCAA)

• Los Angeles Wildcats (Dignity Health Sports Park, MLS)

• New York Guardians (MetLife Stadium, NFL)

• St. Louis BattleHawks (The Dome at America's Center, NFL)

• Seattle Dragons (CenturyLink Field, NFL)

• Tampa Bay Vipers (Raymond James Stadium, NFL)

You said this will be gimmick-free? What are the new XFL rules?

According to Luck, focus groups revealed that fans prefer the NFL game's structure but 'want it at a bit more of faster pace with more excitement, less downtime and less interruptions.' Fans also made clear that they didn't want to be 'complicit,' Luck said, in watching a game with new rules that would further endanger player safety.

For that reason, the XFL dismissed more radical changes, like making all 11 offensive players eligible to catch a pass. 'That's not football,' Luck said, 'and people would know it.' After more than a year of testing in junior colleges and semipro leagues, the league settled on about 15 tweaks. Those changes focused mostly on pace of game and a boost in scoring, while discouraging punts and overtime but encouraging kickoff returns. An ideal XFL game, vice president of football operations Doug Whaley said last fall, would have a 34-28 score and be played in two hours, 45 minutes -- about 25 minutes shorter than an NFL game.

The NFL has been trying to speed up the game for years. How will the XFL do it?

It has emphasized a reduction of time between plays. There will be an eighth official on the field whose only job is to spot the ball. Once spotted, a 25-second play clock will begin. The XFL estimates there will be an average of 32 seconds between plays. The game clock will run after incompletions and plays in which the ball went out of bounds -- until less than two minutes remain in each half. The league has also experimented with inserting speakers into every helmet so plays can be called while players approach the line of scrimmage.

Coaches will also have two timeouts per half, rather than three, and halftime has been cut to 10 minutes. Finally, there will be no coin tosses. The home team will choose whether to kick off or defer at the start of the game, and the visitors will have the choice in overtime.

How does overtime work?

It'll be different from the NFL, for sure. If teams are tied at the end of regulation -- and for reasons we'll soon discuss, that's unlikely -- there will be an overtime period that the XFL estimates will take no longer than seven minutes. Each team will get five one-play possessions to score from the 5-yard line and will continue playing until someone is mathematically eliminated.

Why is overtime unlikely?

The XFL has instituted three post-touchdown options that would give teams more opportunities to win in regulation. There are no extra point kicks. Instead, teams will have the option to go for one point from the 2-yard line, two points from the 5-yard line or three points from the 10-yard line. 'Having a nine-point touchdown option in the fourth quarter can be significant,' Luck said.

What will teams likely do with those points-after options?

'We don't know,' said Sam Schwartzstein, the XFL's director of football operations and point person on the rulebook. The league has supplied coaches with data that projected conversion rates of 50% from the 2-yard line, 30% from the 5 and 20% from the 10.

'If all situations are equal, the most efficient option over time is to go for two points,' Schwartzstein said.

One coach, Schwartzman said, planned to go for three points after defensive touchdowns to capitalize on perceived momentum.

So has the XFL eliminated kicking?

No. There are still punts and kickoffs, with disparate views of each. The XFL wants kickoff returns but has disincentivized punts in hope that more teams will go for it on fourth down.

Kickoffs have been reimagined to move most players down the field so that they aren't hitting each other at full speed. The kicker will kick off from the 30-yard line, 5 yards further back from the NFL, in an effort to limit touchbacks. And most players will line up across from each other between the other 30- and 35-yard line and can't move until the returner catches the ball.

Meanwhile, the XFL hopes to discourage teams from attempting to pin opponents deep with a punt. Balls that go into the end zone or out of bounds will be marked at the 35-yard line, as opposed to the 20 in the NFL. And if a team does punt, it will be more difficult to cover. No one on the punt team can run downfield until the ball is kicked. The XFL estimates that will give returners at least 4 additional yards of space to work with.

Will there will be replay review?

Yes, but it will be modeled off the college system. Only the replay official can stop the game. Coaches can't challenge, but if they call a timeout that leads to a review and a reversal, they will get the timeout back. The standard for review, according to XFL officiating chief Dean Blandino, is a play that has 'significant competitive impact in the outcome of the game.'

Video officials will also have the authority to get involved in matters of player safety, such as a missed roughing the passer foul. Finally, in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, the replay official can act as a sky judge and either throw a flag or reverse a penalty call in significant situations that fall outside the normal list of reviewable plays.

These rules are interesting, but not revolutionary.

Correct. And as noted, that's exactly where the XFL wanted to land. There are other minor rules designed to help offenses, such as requiring only one foot down in bounds for a reception.

Perhaps the most unusual rule is one that will allow two forward passes on one play, as long as the first one is completed and second is also attempted behind the line of scrimmage. In essence, it allows teams to run trick plays without worrying about whether the first pass is thrown backward, which could lead to a fumble. The XFL, however, estimates it will see less than one such play per weekend.

Why not more?

For the most part, Luck hired experienced coaches from conventional backgrounds. Each doubles as his team's general manager, and none projects as a radical.

Two -- Houston's June Jones and Tampa Bay's Marc Trestman -- have been head coaches in both the NFL and CFL. Seattle's Jim Zorn was an NFL head coach. Los Angeles' Winston Moss, D.C.'s Pep Hamilton, St. Louis' Jonathan Hayes and New York's Kevin Gilbride were longtime NFL assistants. Perhaps the best known of all is Dallas' Bob Stoops, who won 10 Big 12 titles and a national championship during an 18-year career at Oklahoma.

The XFL's assistant-coaching ranks are also filled with recognizable names, including Jerry Glanville (Tampa Bay defensive coordinator), Mike Riley (Seattle offensive coordinator), Norm Chow (Los Angeles offensive coordinator), Pepper Johnson (Los Angeles defensive coordinator), Ted Cottrell (Houston defensive coordinator) and Hal Mumme (Dallas offensive coordinator).

Wait. You still haven't mentioned the identity of a single player.

That's not by accident. The XFL is selling a new brand of football, not superstars. It decided against pursuing players such as quarterback Johnny Manziel, a veteran of the NFL, CFL and AAF. Nor did it give any real thought to bidding for big-name NFL free agents, or even drafting prominent college players -- such as Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence -- who are not yet eligible to play in the NFL.

Instead, the XFL focused on players it could reliably count on to be with the league starting in December, when minicamps began, to give them enough practice time to offer a good product in Week 1. According to the league, 207 of the 416 players on XFL rosters had been with an NFL team in the past six months.

You still haven't mentioned any names. Who are some former NFL or college players?

OK, sorry. The players with the most professional history are the quarterbacks, including Landry Jones (Dallas), Cardale Jones (D.C.), Matt McGloin (New York) and Josh Johnson (Los Angeles).

Other players that hardcore football fans will know:

• Jeff Badet, WR, Dallas

• Lance Dunbar, RB, Dallas

• Matt Elam, S, D.C.

• Jhurell Pressley, RB, D.C.

• Sammie Coates, WR, Houston

• Kony Ealy, DE, Houston

• Marquette King, P, St. Louis

• Matt Jones, RB, St. Louis

• Christine Michael, RB, St. Louis

• Keenan Reynolds, WR, Seattle

• Will Sutton, DT, Seattle

Perhaps the most intriguing XFL player is St. Louis safety Kenny Robinson, who was dismissed from West Virginia because of an academic violation and chose to sign with the XFL rather than transfer. He is the only XFL player who entered the league with college eligibility remaining. He is now eligible for the 2020 NFL draft and will use the XFL season to, in essence, put an extended tryout on film.

How much will XFL players make?

The average player will earn about $55,000 over a 10-game season, but some quarterbacks will receive considerably higher salaries -- in some cases approaching the NFL minimum of about $500,000.

What happens when a player gets hurt or a team wants to make roster changes?

Xfl Rules Vs Nfl

The XFL has created a team of 40 unsigned players, known as 'Team 9,' that will practice and condition together in Dallas during the season. The XFL's eight teams will be encouraged to dip into this pool for in-season replacements, but they won't be required to.

Can I bet on the XFL?

Yes! Week 1 lines for the 2020 season are already posted at Caesars Sportsbook, as are futures. As of last week, Tampa Bay had the best odds (7-4) to win the XFL championship and is projected for a league-high seven wins. Seattle (14-1) is the biggest underdog and has a projected total of 3.5 wins.

ESPN and ABC even plan to incorporate betting lines into their on-screen scoreboards and more freely discuss those lines during their broadcasts. Read more on the XFL and betting from ESPN Chalk.

How can I watch XFL games?

Every XFL game will be broadcast on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, FS1 or FS2.

That's a lot of information. But bottom line: How will we know if this works?

Ultimately, there are no secrets for how to measure a for-profit business' success. The XFL has to make money, via ticket sales and eventually television rights deals. (In 2020, the XFL won't receive rights fees for games that are televised. Networks will cover production costs.) The most immediate question is how long McMahon will give the league to get on the right side of the balance sheet.