The UFL isn’t only trying to provide a football entertainment offering during the lull between the Super Bowl and College Football seasons, they’re trying to offer a different perspective on rules to make their game and brand a little different:
Summary of changes comparative to the pro games:
- 60+ yard field goals = 4 points
- One foot in bounds = catch
- Red zone penalties revert to half the distance to the goal.
- The “Tush Push” is eliminated.
- No punting inside the opponent’s 50-yard line.
- Overtime: 3 alternating attempts per team from the 5 yard line.
- Point after touchdown options:
- 1 point – Kick from the 33-yard line
- 2 points – Ball on the 2-yard line
- 3 points – Ball on the 8-yard line
Interesting.
Of those listed there, which one would you actually like to see applied to college football? Or, is there a change you don’t see that you’d like to see in the game?
My dad used to wonder why the team didn’t recruit a vertically challenged player to casually throw over the top of the scrimmage pileup in short yardage situations. In lieu of the Tush Push, just find a mini-me or maybe get one of our cheerleading duos out there to just throw someone with the ball into the end zone. The defense could counter by attempting to throw someone in the air against them, for a cool mid-air collision.
I also believe the quarterback should be able to zip a ball at the goal post and catch it in the endzone on the rebound, but that could be just from years of playing by myself in the back yard and having no other means to throw the ball to myself except to bang it off a nearby tree. Say, that reminds me, I probably need to call my therapist.
Anyway, have at it in the comments.
Except for eliminating the Tush Push and the one foot in bounds for a catch, they all seem pretty gimmicky to me. Nothing jumps out at me as any real improvement to the game.
Should the place kicker have the ability to hit the goal posts or cross bar from 50ish yards, $500 to $1000 cash is paid on the spot, they have to call it prior to the attempt…
Player injury- any player injury that requires a game stop, they player or players involved must remain out of the game for 2 game minutes before returning.
” Just throw someone with the ball into the end zone. The defense could counter by attempting to throw someone in the air against them, for a cool mid-air collision.”
Ugh. Another re-write of the Targeting rules.
Of course CMB with his GLPSD would have them try to heave the 270lb tight end over the tackle.
No, he would throw the small guy out into the flats. Best part of a screen pass without having to throw the ball.
LMAO.
None of this will make me watch but the 3 point conversion is awesome!
The reason no team uses the “throw the teammate across the line of scrimmage” strategy is because it has been against the rules for over 110 years. It was a common strategy , leading, as jp suggests, defenses sending a defender airborne, too. It resulted in a lot of deaths and other series injuries, including UGA’s Richard Von Gammon. The precursor to the NCAA outlawed it to avoid States outlawing football. The Georgia legislature outlawed football after Von Gammon’s death but the Governor vetoed the bill after Von Gammon’s Mother asked him to veto it.
what is to stop the ufl from saying there are no age limits in out league?
The “tush push” was illegal until 2014 or so and still should be. The rule I’ll like to see changed is bring back spearing and eliminate targeting. Another is “blow to the head” BS eliminated. If someone hits a player in the head (helmet) with their hand it’s not going to injury the guy getting hit. The dude swinging might break his hand.
I’d suggest they ban running your smallest lightweight RB up the middle on 3rd and 20, but there’s nobody dumb enough to call that play.
ISWYDT 👀
Really unfair though. We’ve upgraded to using our slowest RB as a specialist to signal a throw to the flats with no lead blockers.
No to all but the elimination of the tush push and intrigued by the post TD options but the 1 pt kick should be moved up to the same spot as the 3pt play at maybe the 10 yd line to preserve a fake attempt possibility and 2 pt try back to the 4 yd line. Still leaves running as an option and more fair to the D.
Mike Leach was way ahead of you there. https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3543072/best-of-2025-mike-leach-allegedly-once-had-to-be-talked-out-of-putting-a-in
Don’t care for any of these UFL rules. What rules I WOULD like to see changed would be:
(1) The clock stops when a player goes out of bounds and doesn’t start again until the ball is snapped. Otherwise, what is the point of “out of bounds” if the clock never stops or starts back after 2 seconds?
(2) The clock stops for a 1st down and doesn’t start again until the ball is marked “ready for play”…a true “college-only” rule that makes college football unique (like the 1 foot in bounds rule).
(3) I’d also like Targeting to either be removed or make it a 15 yard penalty WITHOUT the player ejection.
(4) Bring back the 5 yard, non-flagrant, facemask rule as barely touching the facemask shouldn’t be the same 15 yard penalty as grabbing and yanking/pulling a player down by it.
A no recovery fumble through the endzone resulting in a touchback/turnover is the dumbest rule in football and I’ll die on that hill.
Fumble out of bounds at the one inch line? “No problem at all my friend. Congratulations on getting this close to scoring. The defense isn’t doing a very good job against your offense. Best of luck to you on the next down.”
Fumble out of bounds just past the goal line? “What the hell were you thinking? You just made a terrible, game changing mistake. If the ball had gone out of bounds short of the goal line we would say the defense is playing poorly, but because the fumble arbitrarily crossed the goal line that obviously means that the defense has now done a great thing and will thus be awarded possession of the football plus 20 yards of field position. Nice job idiot! You’re lucky we don’t give the other team 3 points since they did such a great job of having you fumble in the wrong spot without recovering it.”
Makes no sense.
I agree with you, but what would you rule on a ball fumbled into the endzone and out of bounds? Where do you spot it? You can’t give the offense a TD. I agree giving it to the defense is overly harsh. So what’s your suggestion? Maybe put the ball back at the LOS, or at the 10 yard line, whichever is farther away. I think the offense should be strongly discouraged from “oops…I fumbled into the endzone” to gain an advantage.
I say mark it at the 2-point conversion line if no recovery in the endzone, with no resetting of downs. Now where the UFL might place said 2-point conversion line, I don’t know…
Place it on the 1 yard line. Who would fumble into the end zone instead of just scoring a TD? It’s already illegal to fumble forward so there’s no advantage to be gained, and even if there was you risk the defense recovering in bounds.
I like this league trying stuff out. I doubt I’ll watch much but let these ideas breath
I think the real thing to unpack here is JP’s lack of friends as a child. It’s OK buddy, we’re all the friends you need now…
https://youtu.be/ZQht2yOX9Js?si=IoQogDRd5QgabAII
I don’t have any friends now either. Your point being?
Nah, seriously, though, just had the misfortune in living in two neighborhoods with no other kids my age. Still depressing, though.
Could have been worse. I was 1-2 years younger than the rest of the neighborhood gang and a smart-ass to boot. I got beat on a lot.
Eliminate the TUSH Push. I’ve never liked the change that let the offense move the pile forward. The defense can’t push the pile back.
All of those > New NFL Kickoff Rule
No grown man should ever say “tush push” when talking football.