Changes in the 2025 UFL Rulebook Revealed
Image via NBC Sports/Pro Football Talk
There has been conversation regarding changes to the rules in the UFL going into 2025, and more information is being revealed.
Alt-Football Digest and UFL NewsHub reporter Mike Mitchell got a first look at the 2025 UFL rulebook. The most significant changes came with the kickoff rules and the coach challenges.
The new kickoff rule included the following language:
The restraining lines and zones are now:
“(a) ‘Kicker’s Restraining Line’ – the restraining line for the kick by the kicking team shall be its 30-yard line for a kickoff or safety kick unless it is adjusted because of a distance penalty.
(b) ‘Kicking Team’s Restraining Line’ – the restraining line for the remaining 10 players of the kicking team shall be the receiving team’s 40-yard line.
(c) ‘Receiving Team’s Restraining Line’ – the restraining line for the receiving team shall be the receiving team’s 35-yard line.
(d) The ‘setup zone’ for the receiving team is the 5-yard area between the receiving team’s restraining line the 35-yard line and its 30-yard line.
(e) The ‘landing zone’ shall be the area from the receiving team’s 20-yard line extending to its goal line.”
These changes to the kickoff will help the league ensure that more kickoffs are returned during games. They will also help with safety as the league returns to the XFL-style rule and works to prevent head injuries on fast collisions. This will allow players who leave the UFL for the NFL adjust to the NFL's kickoff rules quickly.
Coaches in the UFL will be rewarded if they win their first challenge. If they succeed, they will be given a second challenge. This is a change from last year, when each team only had one challenge per game, no matter what.
One other change mentioned in the UFL NewsHub article was replay being used for “Disqualification of a player” or “if a foul is called for intentional grounding and there is clear and obvious video evidence that the passer was out of the pocket area or not facing an imminent loss of yardage.”
These welcome changes for the UFL continue to help the league adapt to the modern game while adding innovation the NFL can use in the future.
