ARLINGTON, Texas — The United Football League unveiled dramatic rule modifications Tuesday that will prohibit teams from punting once they advance past midfield and reward kickers with four points for successful field goal attempts from 60 yards or beyond.
League officials revealed these changes alongside the ban of the controversial “tush push” maneuver, which prevents teammates from shoving the quarterback forward immediately following the snap.
Since the NFL incorporated significant alterations to kickoff procedures two years ago based on UFL innovations, the spring league’s rule modifications have attracted increased attention. The UFL is also revising its own kickoff format as the eight-team circuit prepares for its March 27 launch.
Under the updated kickoff system, the kicking squad will position themselves at the opposing team’s 45-yard line rather than the 40, while receiving team blockers will shift five yards in the same direction, providing additional space for return specialists. Neither coverage units nor blockers may advance until the ball is secured or touches down in the specified area.
“It is a tremendous source of pride,” stated UFL head of officials Dean Blandino regarding the league’s influence on NFL regulations. “And I think it speaks to the need to have spring football. We’re not competing with the NFL, but we’re working in conjunction with the NFL. We’re preparing players, coaches, officials, to take that next step and to also try things and innovate, that the NFL can use.”
The punting restriction will not apply during the closing two minutes of each half. When active, squads that advance beyond the 50-yard line must attempt fourth-down conversions regardless of whether they subsequently lose ground back into their own territory.
With NFL franchises increasingly attempting field goals from distances exceeding 60 yards after barely reaching midfield, the UFL’s four-point reward system addresses this trend. Teams positioned exactly at the 50-yard line without crossing it retain punting privileges.
“At first glance, it feels like a major, major change,” Blandino explained to The Associated Press. “That’s how I looked at it when we started talking about it. Then you dive into the numbers a little bit and look at the NFL last year, fewest punts per game in modern history, most fourth-down attempts per game in modern history. So the game is trending that way anyway.”
The UFL’s motivation extends beyond statistical analysis.
“We just felt, what are we trying to promote?” Blandino questioned. “We’re trying to provide exciting plays. We’re trying to promote scoring and fan excitement, engagement, those types of things. So we don’t want to see a ton of punts where it’s just a fair catch at the 10-yard line. It’s a non-action play.”
The punting modification complements the enhanced scoring system for lengthy field goals. Former spring league participant Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys has demonstrated that such distances are increasingly achievable.
Jacksonville’s Cam Little established a new NFL distance record with a 68-yard conversion in November, surpassing Justin Tucker’s previous Baltimore Ravens mark from 2021 by two yards. Little also connected on a 70-yard attempt during last year’s preseason.
According to Blandino, Mike Repole, who assumed the role of principal investor last year, strongly advocated for recognizing exceptional kicking performances.
“We just felt like, ‘OK, let’s add a layer to this,’” Blandino noted. “Kicking a 65-yard field goal is a lot harder than a 35-yard field goal. Why should they be the same?”
The NFL narrowly voted down a proposal to eliminate the tush push last year, a technique popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles and frequently employed by the Buffalo Bills.
“Some of our teams used it and we just felt with everything, whether it’s safety, whether it’s the difficulty in terms of officiating it,” Blandino explained. “We’re going to give them the opportunity to see how you can officiate it, how you kind of get it out. And we just feel like that’s not a play that we want in our game.”
The league will also implement the collegiate standard requiring receivers to establish only one foot inbounds for completed catches, compared to the NFL’s two-foot requirement.
Regarding post-touchdown scoring, a 33-yard conversion attempt will yield one point, while successful plays from the 2-yard line earn two points and conversions from the 8-yard line are worth three points.
During overtime periods, teams will take turns on three conversion attempts from the 5-yard line, continuing to alternate until a winner emerges.
