ST. LOUIS–After an almost three-year hiatus, the XFL returns for a 2023 season under new league ownership but still the same goal of feeding pro football to a winter and spring audience.
The St. Louis Battlehawks’ season opener is Sunday at 2pm at San Antonio. All league games will be broadcast on the Disney family of networks–ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and FX, with the opener slated for ABC. All league games will be streamed on ESPN+.
Under a hub system, teams are all based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area during the season and will travel to game locations each week.
The Battlehawks won’t play at home at The Dome at America’s Center until March 12 against the Arlington Renegades.
Rules
The league has kept several of the rule changes it ushered in back in 2020, including an effort to reinvigorate kickoffs by having players line up five yards apart, with only the kicker and the returner able to move until the ball is caught or on the ground for three seconds. The change resulted in a return rate of 92 % of kickoffs in 2020, compared to a 40% rate in the NFL in 2022.
Tiered extra point plays from scrimmage also return: Teams can attempt a 1 point play from the 2-yard line, a 2-point play from the 5-yard line or a 3 point play from the 10-yard line.
“The scores are gonna be unconventional game to game, week to week and there’s challenges there to figure out what best approach you want to have in a football game so I love those situations that we’re put in week to week to be on top of that as a coaching staff,” Battlehawks Head Coach Anthony Becht said. “It also brings a lot of excitement, the fact that you could tie a game if you’re down by 9 points, I mean to me that’s pretty cool so you’re really never out of this thing.”
New in 2023, as long as they have a timeout remaining, coaches will be given one chance per game to challenge anything, be it something they believe was an incorrect call or even something officials didn’t call on the field. Teams also get one more timeout per half, from 2 to 3.
In the fourth quarter, teams can attempt to retain possession by converting a 4th and 15 play from their own 25-yard line.
Action, Audio, Access
That’s the mantra ESPN executives say viewers should expect to play out on screen this season.
“There are no rules as far as our access is concerned. We’ll be able to interpret to the best of our ability what the offensive play is going to be what the defensive play is going to be pre-snap and that is access obviously that cannot be manufactured elsewhere so it’a s cutting edge forward thinking broadcast,” said Greg McElroy, the former Alabama-turned NFL quarterback who has been a fixture on ESPN’s college football coverage and will be paired with Columbia, Mo. native Tom Hart.
The broadcast will have access to the radio communication between coaches and multiple players on both sides of the ball, which will be available until the snap of the ball. NFL broadcasts don’t include that traffic, which cuts off with 15 seconds left on the play clock.
Cameras will have access to locker rooms before, during and after games, while field reporters and analysts will have free reign on sidelines. Broadcasts will also be able to tap into coaching film being reviewed in real time with players and coaches. Viewers will also get a more transparent view of how officiating decisions are reviewed.
If you’re a quarterback in the league, expect to have a microphone, much to the chagrin of St. Louis QB A.J.McCarron, one of the highest-profile players in the league when it comes to NFL experience.
“We’re proud to be a league of all access. We’re proud to be a league that’s saying yes,” said Jay Rothman, the XFL’s senior vice president for broadcast operations.
Gambling
Expect broadcasts to talk about it. Viewers will see the over-under and the closing line (the spread at kickoff) on screen. ESPN executives say once the major sportsbooks in Las Vegas have a chance to evaluate things like potential prop bets and other lines, that information will grow into the coverage.
Watch parties
The Battlehawks are encouraging fans to watch games at Westport Social in Maryland Heights, Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis or any St. Louis area Syberg’s location.