Warball: An Alternate Timeline XFL

[Orion]

Below is the outline of a concept I've been working on for an alternate timeline story I've been writing.
The timeline mostly deals with an expanded exploration program for NASA in the last half of the 20th century. 

One of the things that I've been using to color the timeline is alternative team names and locations within American sports.

 

On this front, instead of the failed XFL franchise, in my timeline, the XFL instead rides a wave of post-9/11 patriotism to create a football league with a military theme.

 

Called Warball, the sport openly embraces the quasi-military themes of football (see George Carlin for further insights) and seeks to appeal to a hyper-masculine fanbase.

 

 

Initially the league forms with 8 teams in 2 conferences

Freedom Division                                                                                    Patriot Division

Capital Warriors                                                                                      Seattle Stealth

New York Heroes                                                                                    Alcatraz Guards

Texas Assault                                                                                          Coronado Destroyers

Chicago Shield                                                                                        Arizona Generals

 

Teams are composed of 7 players on the field at any time. 

The field is 60 yards endzone-to-endzone.  Endzones are 7.5 yards deep with curved corners.  Field is bounded by 20 degree inclines 5 yards wide which are inbounds.  Beyond the inclines are hockey rink walls.  A ballcarrier cannot run out of bounds and must be tackled or score for the play to end.

Any player on the field is considered an eligible receiver.  

Kicking of any kind has been eliminated.  Teams have 6 downs to advance from their own 10 yard line to the opposing endzone.  

Touchdowns are worth 5 points.  After a touchdown, a team is allowed to try a conversion play from the 3-yard line.  A conversion by pass is worth 2 points.  A conversion by run is worth 1 point.

Two 20 minute halves are separated by a 10-minute halftime.  

Teams have 20 seconds to begin the next play.  The clock does not run unless the ball is in play.

 

Teams are required to have at least one starting player who is a current or former member of the United States military, and/or a civilian police, fire or paramedic service.

 

Questions, comments, suggestions?  I invite all of the above.  This is my first league concepts, so, please, rip me apart here.  I'll learn from everything that is said.

[Gman13]

Seems very heart-touching. This league should alternatively be called the Military Football League (MFL).

[Orion]

A few additional rules:

Ironman football (same players on offense and defense).

Coin tosses are only used in games where the teams come in with equal records.  Otherwise, the team with the better record chooses whether to defend or attack on the first possession of the game.

Overtime is based on the current college model.  Each team starts at half-field and has 3 downs to score.  

Holding is permitted by offensive linemen.

4 team playoff, 2 division championship games, then a single America Bowl at the end of the season.

Like the USFL, games take place in the spring.

10 game regular season.  2 games against all other teams in one's own division.  One game against each team in the opposite division.

 

 

 

Debating having full helmets or doing something classic like the 40's style leather headgear.  If I go that route, will likely dump most of the hard pads as unnecessary.

Also considering a barnstorming team of nothing but veterans and service members who do not operate out of a home-field, but instead are constantly playing away games.