The NFL’s only notable competitor in the world of football, the XFL, is back. Well, maybe. In any case, the XFL’s most recent strategy did work out for some time, especially compared to its first attempt. That said, this new version of the XFL is still more similar to the WWE than the NFL. Here’s why.
Play clock: The XFL will use a 25-second play clock rather than the NFL’s 40-second clock. Timeouts: Each team receives two timeouts per half. Here's how the rules of the XFL differ from the NFLPersonal IG: http://instagram.com/theflightmike#Patr.
What sets the WWE and XFL apart from others
First and foremost, implied by the ‘E” in WWE, both organizations aim for entertainment. WWE has always been more about entertaining fans than being a true athletic contest. For example, in WWE as well as in other “pro wrestling” organizations, the fights are almost always scripted. Wrestlers have a fake persona of being the good guy (known as the face) or bad guy (known as the heel).
While other sports have had a history of match-fixing, by and large, most sports, including the NFL, do not script games. The XFL’s games aren’t scripted, but still, the XFL will live by the philosophy that WWE was founded under entertainment.
This has always been the goal of Vince McMahon, founder of WWE and the XFL. In fact, according to The Undefeated, McMahon even said the XFL won’t involve any politics. This is, of course, a reference to Colin Kaepernick and the NFL’s handling of players kneeling during the national anthem. Instead, McMahon said XFL viewers will solely be entertained by the games.
What the WWE and the XFL have in common
Furthermore, as WhatCulture explains, the two organizations will have plenty in common other than entertainment. For example, because both organizations are owned by McMahon, both will promote each other a lot. This includes XFL players attending WWE events and vice versa.
WhatCulture said there’s even a tie-in reference to a famous WWE wrestler. Randy Orton, WWE’s “The Viper,” is somewhat related to an XFL team, the Tampa Bay Vipers. On top of those cross-promotions, the XFL and WWE also have something in common that sets them apart from the NFL.
Unlike the NFL, neither the XFL nor WWE have cheerleaders. This is likely in response to the first XFL’s use of cheerleaders, which doesn’t really fly nowadays.
Lastly, and again due to the XFL’s focus on entertainment, the games will be shorter than the NFL’s, too. For comparison, a single WWE match is very short, but a whole event may take as long as a regular NFL game.
Other ways the XFL is different than the NFL
These shorter matches have been good for football fans, as many followers don’t like watching hours of the sport for just a few minutes of action. This is one of the ways the XFL has improved since the last time it tried its hand at football.
Rather than using gimmicks to entertain fans, the XFL has made changes that speed up the game compared to the NFL. For example, in a bid to reduce concussions, punts and kickoffs are different in the XFL. The XFL also has a “sky judge” who can basically make a ruling as fast as possible.
Many minor rule differences and major salary differences exist between the XFL and NFL. And, unfortunately, according to ESPN, one other difference between the two is that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the XFL may have been canceled again.
Are you interested in learning about the difference between the NFL and XFL? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve designed this page to equip you with all the information you need to know. In the guide below, we’ve included sections about rules, salaries, betting, and so much more.
Before we dive into things, we wanted to provide you with a quick look at all the topics we’ll cover in this guide about the XFL vs NFL. If you’d like to get the most out of this page, be sure to keep scrolling below to review everything we’ve included. However, you can click on any one of the subjects below if you’d prefer to jump ahead to it immediately.
XFL and NFL Rulebook Differences
You might be wondering about the NFL and XFL differences when it comes to the rules of the gameplay. In this section, we’re going to kick things off by discussing what’s similar between the two. Then, after that, we’ll move into talking about some of the ways the rules of the XFL and NFL vary. As you’ll see, some rulebook differences are quite significant.
Similarities Between XFL and NFL Rules
Up first, we wanted to include some of the primary ways in which the rules of the XFL and NFL are similar. Check out the details below to learn more.
- Field Size
- Four Downs
- Positions
Both the XFL and NFL will use the same 100-yard field.
Both leagues utilize the same four downs to move the ball rule.
The NFL and the XFL both have the same positions and number of players of offense and defense.
Differences Between XFL and NFL Rules
Now that we’ve talked about some of the significant similarities between the XFL rules vs NFL, we wanted to feature some of the main differences between the two. Check out the breakdowns below about the difference between the NFL and XFL.
Running Clock
With the XFL, the clock will run unless there’s a timeout or the two-minute warning. This is different from the NFL, where many things, including first downs, can stop the clock. The reason behind this is one of the XFL’s main goals was to ensure the game moved along much faster than a typical NFL game.
Timeouts
With the NFL, teams receive a total of three time outs for each half of the game. However, in the XFL, there are only two timeouts for each team per half.
Point After Plays
If you’re used to the NFL, then you’re familiar with the idea of kicked extra points after a touchdown. But, with the XFL, there are no kicked extra points. Instead, teams can try to earn between one and three extra points by making a play from the two, five, or 10-yard line.
Forward Passes
With the NFL, there can only be one forward pass each play. However, in the XFL, as long as the first forward pass is caught behind the line of scrimmage, another forward pass can be made. In total, this provides teams the chance to make two forward passes in the XFL.
Overtime Penalties
In the XFL, earning penalties during overtime will cost the teams more severely than if they occurred during regular play. With the NFL, there aren’t distinguishing penalties depending on when they happen.
Challenges
Coaches in the XFL won’t have the ability to make any coach’s challenges. This differs from the NFL, which does allow this option.
Kickoffs
Kickoffs in the XFL will vary quite a bit from what folks are used to with the NFL. Some of the major differences include where each of the teams can start, who can move and when, and what happens with touchbacks. The overall goal of these rule changes is to help make kickoffs safer for the players and to increase the number of returns compared to the NFL.
Catches
In the NFL, a catch requires that a player has both of their feet in bounds. However, with the XFL, a play can be ruled a catch as long as at least one foot or another portion of the player’s body makes contact with the field of play.
Punting
Punting rules also has some significant differences for the NFL vs XFL. For starters, with the XFL, the team that’s punting can’t cross the line of scrimmage until the ball is punted. In addition, XFL punts that go out of bounds or are touchbacks will be placed on the 35-yard line of the receiving team.
Overtime Format
One last way the rules of the XFL vs NFL differ relates to the format of overtime. If you’re familiar with soccer, things operate similar to a soccer shootout. In XFL overtime, each team will have five tries to score from the five-yard line. After all five attempts, the team with the most number of successful tries will win the game.
For a more in-depth look at XFL rules, don’t miss the link included below. Here, you’ll be able to gain additional insight into everything you need to know about the league’s rules.
The XFL as a Business
In this next section, we’re going to get you up to speed on the XFL as a business. Here, you’ll be able to learn about things like player and coach salaries as well as ticket prices. We’ll also stack things up between the XFL vs NFL to help you get an idea of how the two football leagues compare.
XFL Coach Salaries
To get this section started, we’re first going to present you with salary information for XFL coaches. After that, we’ve also added in details on how the XFL coaches fair in relation to NFL coaches.
With the return of the XFL being so fresh, there isn’t a ton of detailed data yet relating to the specifics of XFL coach salaries. However, the commissioner of the XFL, Oliver Luck, stated in a late 2019 interview that coaches in the XFL would have a salary amounting to around $500,000 per season. We expect former Oklahoma Sooners coach Bob Stoops will make more than all the other coaches, as he’s the most famous coach out of the eight head coaches.
So, how does the estimate of $500,000 per season for XFL coaches stack up against NFL coaches? Well, as you probably expected, it’s quite a bit different. Some of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL, like Bill Belichick, earn more than $10,000,000 per season. However, the overall average across all NFL head coaches is around $6,000,000, according to Forbes. In turn, it means XFL coaches make, on average, less than 10% of what NFL coaches do.
Despite the large current gap in the pay for coaches between the NFL vs XFL, we expect the gap between the two should get smaller with time if the XFL can gain popularity. As the league generates more revenue, coaches should have the ability to earn significantly more.
XFL Player Salaries
Now that you’ve gotten a look at information relating to the XFL coaches’ salaries, we didn’t want to leave you without details about how the players themselves are doing. In this section, we’re going to stack up how the salaries for players in the XFL are compared to their NFL counterparts.
We’ll be honest, the salaries for XFL players aren’t all too exciting. According to Pro Football Talk, the XFL told player agents before the 2020 season that the average player salary would be around a mere $55,000 per season. No, that’s not a typo, you read that right.
The $55,000 figure is comprised of a base salary, bonuses for being active players on game day, and bonuses for being on a team that wins. However, it’s worth noting while we’re here, there have been some reported potential disputes relating to the pay players were actually seeing.
All of that said, Oliver Luck estimated top players within the XFL would be able to make upwards of $250,000. While this is a decent sum of money for the best players in the league, the overall player average is a figure which isn’t overly exciting for most.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to guess players in the NFL make more, on average, than XFL players. However, how much more do NFL players make each season? First up, let’s talk about what the top players in the NFL football league can make. For the 2019 season, the top 20 highest paid NFL players all made more than $20,000,000. That’s a stark difference from the estimate of $250,000 for the best players in the XFL.
However, the $20,000,000 figure is what the top players in the NFL make, not the average. For the NFL, the average player makes about $2,700,000 each season. When comparing that to the average XFL salary of just $55,000, it means NFL players make almost 50 times as much per year over XFL players.
As with the coach’s salaries, we don’t expect the XFL average salary will be low forever if the league can gain popularity. We hope to see player salaries rise as the league’s revenue climbs. In turn, the XFL could hope to attract more players when it becomes more attractive to play in the league.
XFL Ticket Prices
Finally, one last thing we wanted to provide you with in this portion of our XFL vs NFL page is how ticket prices differ. For most XFL teams, tickets start as low as $20 for the 2020 season. At the high end of things, prices tend to top out right around the $100 mark. On average, it seems most folks are paying somewhere around $30 to $40 to see a game this season.
Once again, things are much higher when it comes to ticket prices for an NFL game. On average, game tickets for the NFL come in around $102, according to Statista. In turn, this means average ticket prices for the NFL come in more than double that of the XFL league.
Will Betting on the XFL be Different Too?
Up next, we wanted to provide you with some color on how betting might differ between the XFL vs NFL. If you’re a seasoned NFL bettor, there are some things you’ll want to be aware of when betting on the XFL.
- Scoring Implications
- Announcers
- Available Information
- Fewer Teams
- Kickoff and Punt Rules
If you’re a fan of betting on totals, you’ll want to take into account that scores from the XFL games will most likely be much higher than your typical NFL games. This is due to the changes the XFL made to help keep the game moving quickly and allowing players more time to score.
If you’ve never watched an XFL game before, one of the things which might surprise you is that the announcers will talk about the game’s spread and over/under as the match happens. It’s even shown on the screen. This is something you’ll never see from NFL announcers. In addition, since the coaches and players are aware this information is displayed, there’s a chance they might work harder to try and beat the spread to become a crowd favorite.
When betting on the XFL, there’s much less available information. For starters, many of the players on the teams are relatively unknown. This is in stark contrast to the NFL, where there are stats galore on each player. Also, with the shorter season for the NFL vs XFL, there’s less time for sports bettors to study the teams and players.
With only eight teams in the XFL, it’s easier to study up on each team when compared to the 32 teams within the NFL.
With the XFL rules relating to punts and kickoffs, the goal is to drive more returns by players. In turn, XFL teams with better special teams and return units might have a more significant edge in the XFL than they would if they were in the NFL.
XFL Betting Sites vs NFL Betting Sites
The last section of our guide about the XFL vs NFL is centered around the topic of their respective betting sites. Even if you’ve got an existing NFL betting website, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s where you should do your XFL betting online. Keep reading below to make sure you end up working with a quality XFL betting site for your online wagers.
What You Should Look for in an XFL Betting Site
To kick this section off, we first wanted to educate you about what you should be looking for in an online XFL betting website. Below, we’ve provided a summary of some of the core things we think you’ll want to ensure an XFL betting site brings to the table.
Broad XFL Betting Options
One of the first things you should seek in an online XFL betting site is a comprehensive collection of XFL wagers. Here, you’re searching for a sports betting website with lots of options for betting on the XFL. Look for a variety of bet types to ensure everything you want is included.
Leading XFL Odds
Something else you should look for in an XFL betting websi te is competitive odds on the XFL league. If you’re new to online sports betting, you might not be aware of how much difference the lines can be between competing online sportsbooks.
Live XFL Betting
Next up, another vital aspect of a top XFL betting site is live betting. Otherwise known as in-play wagers, live betting allows you the chance to bet on the games as they happen, as opposed to just before the game starts. Using this type of bet can make betting on the XFL even more fun and entertaining.
XFL Bonuses
Lastly, one other important thing for you to look for when searching for an XFL betting site is bonuses applicable to XFL wagers. Seek online betting websites offering welcome and additional bonuses relevant to action on the XFL.
To view an expanded list of things to look for in an ideal XFL betting site, be sure to visit our primary online XFL betting websites page linked below.
XFL Betting Sites
What’s Different From NFL Betting Sites?
You might be wondering what’s different between an online XFL betting site and an NFL one. While many NFL betting websites might offer action on the XFL, not all of them will. And, even if XFL wagers are included, you still want to ensure all our suggested criteria above are met. By looking for all these critical features, you’ll be sure you’ll have a quality XFL betting online experience as opposed to a subpar one.
Best Betting Sites for XFL and NFL Action
If you’re interested in betting on the NFL or XFL, check out the chart included below. Here, we’ve added a collection of trusted betting websites offering odds on both football leagues. Our team has analyzed each website to ensure these are the top options if you’re looking for online XFL or NFL betting sites. Each one of these suggestions meets all our suggested criteria from the start of this section, so we’re sure you’ll be pleased with your online betting experience.
Betting Site | Bonus | Bet Now | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | up to €30 Free Bet | Go to Site | |
| 2 | 22Bet | 100% up to €122 | Go to Site |
| 3 | 100% up to €200 | Go to Site | |
| 4 | 10Bet | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
| 5 | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
XFL vs NFL FAQ
Before we wrap things up, we wanted to add in some frequently asked questions about the XFL vs NFL. If you’re still in search of some details, we hope this section can help you find the information you’re looking for.
Xfl And Nfl Differences
Xfl Rules Different From Nfl
Watch Nfl Football Free
Nfl And Xfl Differences
Final Words on XFL vs NFL
We hope you found all the information on this page about the NFL vs XFL helpful. If you enjoyed the details included here, you might also want to check out some of our other excellent guides relating to the XFL and the NFL. You can use the main website menu to explore everything we have to offer. Thanks for visiting our site, and best of luck with all your future XFL and NFL wagers!
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