The NFL is considering the adoption of the XFL’s unique kickoff. The UFL, which merges the XFL and USFL, will not be using it.
On Tuesday, the UFL announced the rules that will apply to the joint venture that commences play on March 30. When the league literally kicks off, the kickoff will look like the traditional NFL/college kickoff, with one major difference: the kick will happen from the 20.
The NFL currently kicks from the 35. All UFL touchbacks will go to the 25.
The summary of rules does not mention whether a fair catch inside the 25 will result in the placement of the ball at the 25. If not, there will be more returns in the UFL, since the kick will need to travel 80 yards to make it to the end zone.
The XFL kickoff had the kick come from the 20, with 10 players on the kicking team at the receiving team’s 35 and 10 players from the receiving team on their 30 yard line, five yards apart. The 20 players on the 35 and the 30 did not move until the kick was caught, giving it the look of an electric football game before the switch was turned on.
Now that the joint XFL/USFL has dumped the XFL kickoff, it will be interesting to see whether the NFL continues to study it — and whether the NFL potentially adopts it.
UPDATE 7:05 p.m. ET: A fair catch inside the 25 will not give the receiving team possession at the 25.