UFL to experiment with 4-point field goal, tush push ban in spring league’s next season



UFL to experiment with 4-point field goal, tush push ban in spring league’s next season

The organizers of the UFL spring football league are experimenting with new rules for their upcoming season, saying Tuesday that they will introduce a four-point field goal, a restriction on punts inside the 50-yard line and a ban on the tush push.

The league has also adjusted its catch rule, now requiring receivers to have just one foot in bounds. The UFL had mirrored the NFL’s mandate of two feet down to complete a reception. 

“The UFL exists to innovate. If we’re not making the game more exciting and fan-focused, we’re not doing our job,” UFL co-owner Mike Repole said in a news release. “These rule changes make football faster, more dynamic, and more exciting for the fans.”

Field goals from 59 yards or less will still be worth three points.

The big change is for any kicks of 60 yards or longer. They now put four points on the board.

The special teams adjustment coincides with a new ban on punts in opposing territory. Offenses will no longer be allowed to punt once they cross the 50-yard line, even if they’re pushed back onto their own side of the field due to a sack or penalty. 

The rule will not apply during the last two minutes of either half. 

As for the tush push, the short-yardage play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles and otherwise unpopular with many NFL coaches, it’s out.

The UFL described it 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.” 

Many NFL defenders have complained that the setup provides an unfair advantage to offenses.

The spring league, featuring eight teams, kicks off on March 27 with the Birmingham Stallions visiting the Louisville Kings. The defending champion DC Defenders open the next day at St. Louis against the Battlehawks.