Extreme Football League (XFL) was an American football league that was dissolved in 2001 after just one season but was recently resurrected in 2023. There are major rule differences between the NFL and the new XLF league, one of which is the XLF’s low-impact kickoff rule.
It was mentioned before the 2023 National Football League (NFL) season got underway that sports chiefs were studying the possibilities of bringing in the rule as a way to make the sport safer for the players involved, mainly by trying to reduce concussions.
What is the new XFL-style kickoff rule that could end up being used in the NFL?
The XFL kickoff rule sees ten players on both sides having to line up five yards away from each other at the kickoff point, and only the returner and the kicker are allowed to line up away from the bunch.
With this new rule, players are in much closer proximity, meaning it’s practically impossible to reach a speed anywhere near a full sprint, as they have no time or space for this to happen, which reduces the number of collisions that would occur compared to standard kickoffs where there are more high-speed collisions.
According to many fans who watch XFL games that use this rule, there were hardly any kickoff injuries, and the action was more thrilling to watch.
Although NFL chiefs were initially unwilling to implement the new XFL kickoff-style rule, kickoff in the NFL had stagnated throughout 2023, meaning there’s a good chance they could very well bring this new rule in, not only to reduce concussion and other injuries but also to inject a bit more excitement to the game.
The league is under pressure from various groups to implement change because this particular part of play in American Football is now regarded as the most unsafe, where injuries are more likely to occur.
Is it possible to bet on the next Super Bowl yet?
Yes. A handful of fully licensed and regulated South African iGaming sites, like the official 10bet online sports betting casino, have already opened their betting markets for the February 9, 2024 Super Bowl (aka Super Bowl LIX). This site is known for having some of the industry’s best NFL betting odds.
When is the new NFL season scheduled to begin?
The new NFL season is scheduled to get underway on September 5, 2024, in a match that will be hosted by the current reigning champions of Super Bowl LVIII, the Kansas City Chiefs, on the GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The San Francisco 49ers are the current odds-on favourite team to win the 2024/25 NFC Championship outright, and the Kansas City Chiefs are the odds-on favourite to win the 2024/25 AFC Championship outright.
At the time of writing, the San Francisco 49ers are the odds-on favourite to win the 2024/25 NFL Super Bowl, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs (second odds-on favourite team to win). Let’s take a quick look at the odds currently being offered for these markets:
- Market: 2024/25 NFL Super Bowl outright winner. Team: San Francisco 49ers. Decimal odds: 6.50. Fractional odds: 11/2. American/moneyline odds: +550. Implied probability rate (IPR): 15.40% – odds-on favourites
- Market: 2024/25 NFL Super Bowl outright winner. Team: Kansas City Chiefs. Decimal odds: 7.50. Fractional odds: 13/2. American/moneyline odds: +650. Implied probability rate (IPR): 13.30%
- Market: 2024/25 AFC Championship outright winner. Team: Kansas City Chiefs. Decimal odds: 4.50. Fractional odds: 7/2. American/moneyline odds: +350. Implied probability rate (IPR): 22.20%
- Market: 2024/25 NFC Championship outright winner. Team: San Francisco 49ers. Decimal odds: 3.40. Fractional odds: 12/5. American/moneyline odds: +240. Implied probability rate (IPR): 29.40%
These average odds are accurate at the time of writing, but they are subject to fluctuate somewhat between now and the actual Super Bowl next February. Also, try to remember that no bets are ever guaranteed to win in sports betting, even when betting on their favourites.
Final thoughts
Whether the new XFL kickoff-style rule will come into effect in the NFL remains to be seen. There have been no official talks among the NFL club owners, but experts believe it could come in sooner rather than later.
There will likely be plenty of blowback from critics of the rule who say it would take some of the fun out of the game, but if the main goal is to enhance player safety, and the rule has already proven to be effective in the XFL, then there’s a good chance we will see it being brought in before the start of the new 2024/25 season. We will just have to wait and see.
