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USFL Reveals New Broadcast Innovations, Alongside Gameplay Sneak Peeks

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With less than a week to go until the USFL kicks off its inaugural season, social media has been buzzing in anticipation. The league themselves have generated quite a bit of attention over the past couple of days, revealing some of the innovations they plan on implementing for 2022.

On April 16th, the Birmingham Stallions will face off against the New Jersey Generals. When the game kicks off, fans will be treated to a whole new way to watch football. This weekend, the USFL ran test runs to ensure that things will go smoothly next week.

Luckily for us, the league shared some of this content on social media platforms. Let’s take a look at a few of these innovations, and what they mean for the USFL.

First Down Technology

The USFL will be using a brand new technology to assist referees in assessing first down calls. Hopefully, this will ensure that these close calls are as accurate as possible.

It’s refreshing to see the league incorporate new ideas into gameplay, and this innovation should provide the broadcast team with some excellent content. Not to mention, it should make the referees’ jobs much easier.

New Overtime Rules

A very intriguing development surrounds the USFL’s approach to overtime. It will feature a best-of-three shootout, where teams have an opportunity to score two point conversions. Whoever converts more times will win the game. If no points are scored on the first three attempts, it will head to sudden death.

The USFL shared a video showcasing their unique player mic’d up configuration – and also gave fans a glimpse into how the overtime will look. On this play, Darnell Holland scored on the final two point attempt, which effectively ended the game.

It is also encouraging to see the league’s emphasis on behind-the-scenes access, which is seen here with players wearing microphones. This will certainly add an extra element to the viewer’s overall experience, and should provide more entertainment.

Unique Broadcast Angles

The USFL will feature multiple camera angles that break the barriers for football. First, the helmet cam will be worn by multiple players in each game. For viewers who want to see the action upfront, this is a fantastic addition.

Secondly, drones are also being implemented, bringing brand new views to the watchers at home. While this angle may need to see some improvement before going live, it is encouraging to see the league try new things.

All Access Content

Similar to the XFL, the USFL plans on giving fans what they want to see – and hear. During halftime, cameras and microphones will be brought into team locker rooms, to get the scoop on what goes on inside.

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The USFL Chat twitter account also got a hold of some images from these test runs, revealing what broadcasts will look like on FOX.

Sky judges are also a factor, which is fantastic to see. They made an impact in the AAF, and were spectacular for the XFL during their short season.

Conclusion

We are very excited to see how these innovations are implemented in the USFL. Expect the broadcasts on both FOX and NBC to be stellar. Kickoff is just a week away – it can’t come fast enough!

Are you excited for these rule changes and innovations? What do you expect from FOX and NBC broadcasts? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!