How the NFL can and should learn from the XFL

[CGI_Ram]

How the NFL can and should learn from the XFL

The NFL should study the XFL closely.

ftw.usatoday.com

How the NFL can and should learn from the XFL

The XFL has started fresh, with new methods for officiating, a new kickoff setup, more in-game interviews and new chance for players who flunked out of the NFL.

Opening weekend for the X football league — what does the X stand for? — has so far been surprisingly enjoyable. The opening day featured big plays, big laughs and a sense of positivity (for everyone who didn’t lose on this bad betting beat). Even on the heels of a seemingly long NFL season, fans were happy to get more football.

But as Saturday bore on, it became clear that the NFL should be monitoring the XFL not just for talent. (The XFL seemed like a natural minor league to the NFL — that much was clear from the start.) But as the XFL’s begins to reinvent itself, the league seems interested in bringing new concepts to the football field. The most successful experimentation came in how they handled their officiating. The XFL brought tremendous transparency.

Here’s a look at a review for a foul, where the booth official openly discusses whether a player used the crown of his helmet. The booth official got the field official on the same page, and the game proceeded quickly.


View: https://twitter.com/xfl2020/status/1226288698943266817?s=21


It wasn’t the biggest play of the game. It wasn’t an enormously complicated play to decipher. But it was almost comforting — a strange word to use in the context of this insane hit — to see the officials at work. Of course, this sort of visibility could lend itself to problems, too. If the booth official struggled to make the call or said something to cast more controversy or uncertainty on the situation, then the XFL would have a problem.

For now, the idea seems to be a step in the right direction — and it’s something the NFL should consider implementing. After all, the league’s officials tookcenter stage every week this season. They struggled to make the proper call, and fans were not forgiving. But perhaps an extra level of transparency would help fans understand why the seemingly bad officiating occurred. Putting the officials onscreen might also help elevate the officiating to a higher standard.

Smart NFL teams will spend the next few weeks scouring XFL rosters for talent. Smart NFL officials will spend the next few weeks studying the XFL’s playbook and broadcast product to see if this new league is onto something that could improve the NFL.

 

[CGI_Ram]

One thing I noticed watching this past weekend... the pace moved fast enough that they weren’t showing replays of every penalty in slow-mo.

What that did.... It was a penalty. Move on.

Eliminated some of the “second guessing / fairness / scrutiny” that is always tossed at the NFL officials...

 

[Merlin]

Yeah the speed of the XFL game is quicker which I appreciate. There is a noticeable improvement in the speed of reviews. But down the road I don't know that reviewing everything is worthwhile. I think that's overkill.

Watching the game on Sat I think it was they corrected things like ball spots, which are important but there should NEVER be a game stoppage due to something like that. Let the refs do their jobs IMO and if a coach thinks he's been robbed use that challenge.

IMO just irt the reviews the NFL simply needs to move them along faster. But they haven't to date because it means more advertisement time. So basically they have accepted degrading their product due to greed.

 

[den-the-coach]

Really enjoyed the transparency in the booth, what the replay guy is looking at and his communication with the officials, it was awesome and give you the insight as to why the plays are upheld or referred.....The NFL has to stop looking like it's hiding things, like spygate for example.

 

[1maGoh]

Really enjoyed the transparency in the booth, what the replay guy is looking at and his communication with the officials, it was awesome and give you the insight as to why the plays are upheld or referred.....The NFL has to stop looking like it's hiding things, like spygate for example.

But it is hiding things. That's why it can't do the transparency thing. Some of those calls are so bad the only possible reasonable explanation is that the refs aren't trying to do a good job.

 

[Merlin]

The advertisement thing was irt the NFL and their greed where I presume extra commercials from reviews are a good thing with their network contracts.

Re: the XFL that is good to know.

 

[jetplt67]

NFL refs already review every play, they just don't put it on TV. I have several friends who are NFL officials and 2 of them are booth officials. They look at every play.

I'm sure they are experimenting with things in the XFL to see what works and maybe the NFL will adopt a few things like the XFL is doing.

 

[Angry Ram]

Well I mean if fans and reporters that constantly nitpick every. single. goddamn. play that should or shouldn't be a damn foul leading to more replays, more time, more stoppage, etc the games would go a lot faster.

A team has 60 mins to win. Just win. And if you don't...get better. Don't be a Cleveland Brown when doing so, though.

 

[CGI_Ram]

The funny thing is... if the league has success... this will probably go away.

Which, is counter to the positive bump they get for it.

“When it gets real serious”... so to speak. Teams will start to be concerned about, stealing calls, etc. IMO

——

Jim Zorn "absolutely shocked" by XFL broadcast access

XFL broadcasts include far more access to coaches and players than NFL broadcasts.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Jim Zorn “absolutely shocked” by XFL broadcast access

XFL broadcasts include far more access to coaches and players than NFL broadcasts. One XFL coach who previously worked as an NFL coach apparently wasn’t prepared for the extent to which the XFL takes fans inside the game.

Via Scott Hanson of the Seattle Times, Seattle Dragons coach (and former Washington coach) Jim Zorn was “absolutely shocked” that the TV coverage of Saturday’s game against the D.C. Defenders included audio of Zorn calling plays from the sideline.

“I think it gave a fan a chance to hear and see something they’ve never heard before, but I felt very exposed,” Zorn explained. “Information on a football team has to be guarded a little bit, so we just got it right out there. I know it had to be fun for everybody, but not super fun for me to reveal all that stuff. But I was glad I didn’t stutter or fumble the play calls.”

The games include play calls and interviews with players and locker-room talk before the game and at halftime. It’s stuff that the NFL would never allow, because the NFL doesn’t have to. The XFL wisely chooses to in order to make the overall experience memorable and compelling.

 

[kurtfaulk]

The advertisement thing was irt the NFL and their greed where I presume extra commercials from reviews are a good thing with their network contracts.

NFL refs already review every play, they just don't put it on TV. I have several friends who are NFL officials and 2 of them are booth officials. They look at every play.

I'm sure they are experimenting with things in the XFL to see what works and maybe the NFL will adopt a few things like the XFL is doing.

what the hell happened in the stealers game?

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