The United Football League (UFL) is instituting a handful of bold rule changes ahead of its 2026 season.
Notably, the spring football league – now in its third season as a unified front since the USFL-XFL merger – is introducing a four-point field goal for its teams and will also ban punts from inside the opponents’ 50-yard line.
The rule changes come as the league continues to evaluate ways to make its on-field product exciting without straying too far from the basic rules of football, as UFL head of officiating Dean Blandino told USA TODAY Sports in a recent phone interview.
‘We want to create an exciting game. We want good flow. We want big plays. We want to promote scoring,’ Blandino said.
The UFL believes the four-point field goal attempt, and its other rule changes, fit perfectly into that mission.
UFL introduces four-point field goal
The genesis of the UFL’s four-point field goal rule was relatively simple. The league sought to provide a larger reward for kickers attempting riskier, longer-distance field goals.
‘A 65-yard field goal is a lot harder than a 35-yard field goal,’ Blandino explained. ‘So, why should they be the same amount of points?’
The UFL set the line of demarcation at the 60-yard line. Anything from that distance or beyond will be worth four points; anything inside of it will be worth the traditional three.
Blandino believes the 60-yard range will be a realistic target for UFL kickers. He noted kickers have improved considerably from long distance in recent seasons, referencing that NFL kickers made 12 of their 22 attempts from 60-plus yards during the 2025 NFL campaign.
Blandino also brought up Cam Little’s record-breaking 68-yard field goal in 2025 and the success of spring-league alums Brandon Aubrey and Jake Bates as reasons to be bullish about the prospect of the four-point field goal.
‘These guys have become incredible players in the NFL,’ Blandino said. ‘So, how can we highlight what they’ve accomplished and promote scoring?’
Blandino also expressed excitement about seeing the strategy coaches employ while considering the four-point field goal throughout the 2026 UFL season.
‘We think this is going to create some interesting strategy decisions for coaches,’ Blandino said. ‘Late in the game, you’re down three, you’ve got 30 seconds and one timeout. Do you play to tie the game, or do you play to win the game with a four-point field goal? It’s going to be really, really exciting.’
‘It’s going to be really interesting the first time you have a third-and-long in 58-yard field goal range,’ he later added. ‘Do I take a knee and lose two yards to get to 60? There’s going to be some fascinating strategic decisions and some things done that I think fans are going to go, ‘Wow, that’s different. That’s kind of cool.’ And I think that’s going to keep people engaged.’
That’s why Blandino believes the four-point field goal is ‘going to really be a great part’ of the UFL moving forward. It fits the league’s vision of finding innovative rule changes that aren’t simply gimmicks.
‘We just want to continue to innovate but also maintain that foundation and the integrity of the game of football,’ Blandino said. ‘These rules are not about, oh, what can we do that’s going to get a pop or it’s going to be gimmicky, right? It’s football. It’s the game we all love, and we don’t want to stray too far away from that.’
UFL bans punting inside opponents’ 50-yard line
Blandino’s excitement about the four-point field goal was bolstered by another new UFL rule. The league will no longer allow teams to punt once they cross the opponents’ 50-yard line – unless it’s after the two-minute warning in either half.
Blandino explained the rule was instituted to generate more excitement and potential scoring opportunities. He also pointed out its mission aligned with the NFL’s general trend of decreased punting and increasing fourth-down conversion attempts.
‘The number of punts inside the 50 are down significantly anyway,’ Blandino said. ‘Most teams are going for it.’
The key point in the UFL’s punting rule is that once the ball crosses the midfield stripe, it cannot be punted, regardless of whether the team on offense loses yards. This prevents teams from taking intentional penalties to manipulate the field on fourth down to get into position to punt.
Blandino and the UFL understand that could create some difficult fourth-and-long situations for teams where punting isn’t an option. That’s why the league didn’t want the rule to apply after the two-minute warning.
That said, Blandino acknowledged the UFL could adjust the rule midseason if any issues arise relating to it.
‘We want to see how it goes, and that’s what’s great about the UFL and our process,’ Blandino said of the rule. ‘There’s a lot of thought [and] effort that goes into it, but if we get to Week 5 and say, OK, this is an issue, we can adjust.’
But as currently constructed, Blandino believes the UFL’s ban of punts from inside opponent territory will result in more opportunities for long field-goal attempts.
‘We’re going to see more 60-yard field goal attempts because you add the extra point, you add the no punts,’ Blandino said.
Those opportunities are why Blandino believes there’s ‘no question’ the league will be able to continue attracting high-end kicker talent – an area in which it has enjoyed great success throughout its existence.
UFL adopts NCAA catch rule
The UFL is also going to use the college catch rule for its 2026 season. That means pass-catchers will only need to get one foot in bounds to complete a catch.
What went into the decision to roll with that catch rule? It’s all about the UFL’s quest to ‘promote exciting plays,’ as Blandino detailed.
‘There are so many plays that you watch in the college game or in the UFL that if the receiver had to get both feet in, it’s an incomplete pass,’ Blandino said.
Blandino went on to specifically reference Fernando Mendoza’s 7-yard game-winning pass to Omar Cooper Jr. in Indiana’s 27-24 win over Penn State as a play that wouldn’t have counted under the NFL’s version of the catch rule.
‘That’s an incomplete pass if you have to get both feet down,’ Blandino said, ‘and it’s one of the iconic plays from the college football season.’
By keeping the one-foot rule, the UFL will leave the door ajar for more big-time plays. Blandino also opined the college version of the rule is both safer and easier to officiate for all involved.
‘From a safety perspective, it is a safer play in terms of the receiver just having to get one foot down,’ Blandino said. ‘Now, they can start to protect themselves earlier in that process. And it’s an easier play to officiate. So, all those factors considered, that’s why we went in that direction.’
UFL to continue showing inside look at officiating
The UFL has been among the pioneers in officiating transparency, as the league has offered a glimpse into the replay room throughout its existence. Blandino confirmed the UFL would continue to offer such coverage to enhance its broadcasts.
‘We really love what we’ve done with the transparency. We want to continue to highlight that on our broadcast,’ Blandino said. ‘And we do feel like the other leagues and conferences have taken notice.’
Notably, the ACC offered a glimpse into its replay room during some of their college football broadcasts during the 2025 season. Blandino noted the ACC is planning to ‘expand that’ and that the Big 12 ‘is talking about’ implementing a similar system.
Blandino believes such transparency is a great way to engage with fans and remove any potential consternation about controversial calls by at least shedding a light on the process.
‘The frustrating thing for fans, and this is the feedback we’ve always received, is [that] a call is made, and they don’t get the why,’ Blandino explained. ‘Sometimes, if it is something they don’t agree with, then you start to go down a path of conspiracy theories and all these other things.’
‘If you just get a chance to watch and listen, the conspiracy stuff goes away,’ he added. ‘You might not always agree at the end of the day, but at least you understand, OK, this is why they made the decision. These are the steps, this was the conversation.’
Blandino – who serves as a rules analyst during Fox’s NFL broadcasts in addition to his role with the UFL – is hopeful the NFL will eventually consider adopting a similar look under the hood during its broadcasts.
‘I think it’s something the NFL has to continue to look at,’ Blandino said.