The NFL’s current kickoff formation was inspired by the XFL. But when the XFL and the USFL merged, the UFL opted for the USFL’s traditional kickoff formation.
In the second season of the UFL, the league will use a hybrid of the NFL and the XFL kickoff.
The kickoff will now originate from the kicking team’s 30, with 10 players lined up at the receiving team’s 40. Nine players from the receiving team must be in the five-year zone between the receiving team’s 35 and 30.
Last year, the UFL used a traditional kickoff, with the play starting at the kick team’s 20.
Under the new formation, the landing zone extends from the receiving team’s 20 to the goal line.
Failure to reach the landing zone will result in the receiving team having possession at its 40. For balls kicked into the end zone, the touchback point will be the 35. For kicks that strike in the landing zone, enter the end zone, and aren’t returned, the touchback point will be the 20.
It’s basically the same thing as the NFL play, with two exceptions. The ball is kicked from the 30, not the 35. Also, the touchback point for balls kicked into the end zone is the 35, not the 30.
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