Second Season of UFL Kicks off March 28, 2025

WIth the NFL season officially over, now we have to wait until late August for professional football, right? Wrong. The second season of the United Football League (UFL) kicks off on March 28, 2025.

A brief Rundown of the UFL:

The UFL is divided into two conferences, the XFL and the USFL, which are former franchises themselves, now united in the UFL. There are four teams in each conference.

USFL Conference:

• Birmingham Stallions
• Houston Roughnecks
• Memphis Showboats
• Michigan Panthers

XFL Conference:

• Arlington Renegades
• DC Defenders
• San Antonio Brahmas
• St. Louis Battlehawks

There will be a total of 43 games culminating with the UFL Championship Game on Saturday, June 14. Games will be broadcast on Fox, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and FS1. There will be more days of football as games will be played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The UFL has some rules that differ from the NFL, one of which eventually made its way to the big league involving kickoffs, which are supposed to help prevent injuries and create a more exciting play.

Other rules that are unique to the UFL include

No Fair Catches on Punts – In the UFL, fair catches are not allowed on punts. Instead, a 5-yard "halo rule" requires the coverage team to give the returner space to catch the ball. This encourages more punt returns and keeps special teams play exciting.

Three-Tiered Extra Points – Unlike the NFL’s single PAT or two-point conversion, the UFL allows teams to score different amounts based on field placement:

• 1 point from the 2-yard line.
• 2 points from the 5-yard line.
• 3 points from the 10-yard line.

This keeps games more competitive, allowing teams to make up deficits more easily.

Double-Forward Passes Allowed – The UFL allows a second forward pass as long as the first pass does not cross the line of scrimmage which allows for more trick plays and offensive strategies.

Overtime Rules

• Best-of-Three Shootout Format – Instead of a timed overtime period, UFL overtime includes alternating attempts from the 5-yard line. Each team gets three offensive plays to score two-point conversions. The team with the most points after three rounds wins. If still tied, it moves to sudden death.

Game Clock & Timing

• Shorter Play Clock – The UFL uses a 35-second play clock instead of the NFL’s 40-second version, speeding up the pace of play.
• Running Game Clock After Incomplete Passes – Outside of the final two minutes of each half, the game clock continues running after incomplete passes and plays out of bounds. This reduces game length and increases the tempo.

Depending on the success of these rules in increasing player safety and overall enjoyment of the game, you may see more of these rules implemented in the NFL.