What if YOU were the XFL Commissioner?

[DCarp1231]

 

 

 

The XFL is very much an experimental and innovative league and this leads me to believe they're looking to at least try to improve the standard uniform in time for their 2020 relaunch.

 

As the tweet asks, what would you change about the standard football uniform?

[C-Squared]

GoPro's in every skill position player's helmet! All the crucial aspects of this project below are still a pipe dream, but these would absolutely make the XFL stand out:

 

https://gridironlabs.com/future-football-helmet-design

 

Reverting to a maskless leather-type lightweight helmet would be best for the players, but I would guess that's too "out there" to feel legitimate to casual fans.

[Mac the Knife]

1. I'd ban use of certain colors and color schemes, simply because they're hideous (I'm looking at you, Oregon) or overused.
2. I'd ditch all padding.  Eliminate the notion that players have that they're invincible or even protected on the field.
3. I'd resurrect sleeves on jerseys.  And horizontal stripes on the sleeves.

[nuordr]

1. No plain pants....stripes must be used 
2. No gray facemasks on teams with no gray in the uniform 
3. Pants must cover the knee
4. Socks must cover the calf muscle, not bare legs
5. No neon colors

[whitedawg22]

1 hour ago, Mac the Knife said:

1. I'd ban use of certain colors and color schemes, simply because they're hideous (I'm looking at you, Oregon) or overused.
2. I'd ditch all padding.  Eliminate the notion that players have that they're invincible or even protected on the field.
3. I'd resurrect sleeves on jerseys.  And horizontal stripes on the sleeves.

 

I agree with #2 and #3, but with tweaks for both.

 

For #2, you can't have line play with modern rules with no padding. On every play, 8-12 freakishly large, strong humans crash into each other. They'd be one enormous bruise by the end of the game if they had no padding whatsoever. If you're going to do this, you need to start plays like a rugby scrum, with offensive and defensive linemen already in contact with each other.

 

For #3, compression tops should be a part of the uniform. We already use compression pants; why not sleeves as well?  When I played HS football, I liked wearing sleeves anyway, because it reduced forearm cuts and bruises. Compression sleeves could be an extension of the Oregon State alternate uniforms from a few years back, and have design elements on them:

[Gothamite]

I'd replace plastic helmets with a modified rugby scrum cap.  And I'd change the "down" rules to require actual tackling.  If a player is knocked to the ground, he's not down.  Has to be wrapped up.

 

My XFL would be both old-school football and the bleeding edge of the sport's future.

[msu]

I'd get rid of gloves. It's gotten too easy to catch the ball with gloves. And I'd allow custom facemasks. It gave some personality without being too distracting and the ones with team logos looked good to me, too.

[BrandMooreArt]

the XFL has the opportunity to re-think the football uniform and team branding. i would start with the uniform decoration; this is different than uniform technical design which i beleive Nike has perfected with the Vapor Untouchable template. so what i mean is, do we really need TV numbers? do we need numbers on the front? when you start with the 2 non-negotiables of a uniform (1. must identify team A from team B and 2. must identify each player from one another) i think you arrive at some really interesting answers and ideas for what the uniform looks like from there. it doesn't need to look like an NFL uniform.

 

i would approach team branding not with mascots (the Lions, Tigers, etc) but take a soccer-like angle and use the team's markets. "Chicago Football Team" and "Indianapolis Football Team" for example. then use the iconography of the cities (seals, flags, and whatever makes the cities unique) to form the identities/uniforms. 

 

i would also love to see a cold weather and warm weather uniform, even if that's just long/short socks and long/short undershirts. it's not only practical, but gives you a new piece of kit to design into the uniform. 

 

ideas here:

https://twitter.com/BMooreCreativ/status/1019982795089891328

[guest23]

1 hour ago, Gothamite said:

I'd replace plastic helmets with a modified rugby scrum cap.  And I'd change the "down" rules to require actual tackling.  If a player is knocked to the ground, he's not down.  Has to be wrapped up.

 

My XFL would be both old-school football and the bleeding edge of the sport's future.

 

I'm down with the rugby league hybrid model and have thrown that idea around with buddies. 100% on board with helmets and tackling. Would love to reduce substitutions to 1 per series (barring injury) to create more mismatches, maybe even eliminate dedicated kickers. Also the amount of actual scrimmage time for an nfl game is something like 11 minutes total off of a 60 minute game clock, taking 3 hours to complete is pathetic. To force scrimmage eliminate huddles, tighten the play clock and any sort of direct play calling/radioing in. As much as I dislike chip kelly for being a prick and passing off a high school offense as game changing, his uptempo concept (copied from southern hemisphere rugby) was a step in the right direction.

[C-Squared]

1 hour ago, BrandMooreArt said:

Do we really need TV numbers?

 

This! As big a relic of the SDTV era as the two-toned Cowboys unis.

[DCarp1231]

As far as helmets go, I'm torn between traditional and rugby style.

 

For the rest of the uniform:

 

Jersey- There's really no need for TV numbers and large numbers on the front as @BrandMooreArt said. My solution is to use pullover baseball style jerseys, without getting too out of hand. Use a word script, small number and a decent design wouldn't hurt a la Houston Astros tequila sunrise jerseys.

 

Pants- standard football pants. Striping is a must, but if a team really opposes striping then blank pants are allowed. If a team chooses not to use a number on the front of the jersey, they must use a number located on the front of the left or right upper thigh.

 

Socks- striping and color must be the same as jersey and/or pants

 

Cleats- must be in team colors

 

Pads- Slimmed down padding somewhere between football and motocross

[flyersfan]

Go-pros in the helmets! Love it!

 

I would say no gloves, but that’s too hard to enforce, players can argue “safety reasons” like lineman gloves

 

i would say pants over the knees, jerseys that have stitched in numbers, no iron-ons

 

no gimmicky jerseys, we don’t need any watermelon color schemes, or rainbows, pick a logo, make a simple jersey (doesn’t have to be plain, just not like plaid or soccer-striped or anything like that) and...

 

MOST OF ALL, NO CHROME

[Discrim]

if I were commish...the league would be in serious trouble and be mere days away from folding.

[buzzcut]

Rugby style helmets.

No TV numbers, but numbers on front and back would be bigger.

Glove usage limited to linemen.

Pants over the knees.

Cleats in team colors or white.

Each team must have one Designated He Hate Me on the roster.

[neo_prankster]

Vicis Zero1 for everyone!

White shoes.

Offensive and defensive linemen a yard or two apart.

Eliminate three point stance.

4 point field goal from 50 yards or longer.

 

And...

 

Logos on the chests!

[Fresno St. Alum]

I'd resign, since it will probably only last a year again. 

[Old School Fool]

I would have a Referee that only communicates penalties by breakdancing.

[VancouverFan69]

I would expand into Canada. Because the XFL is connected to the WWE/pro wrestling, I would name the clubs after famous Canadian wrestlers from their respective hometowns.

 

Montreal Mad Dogs - Maurice 'The Mad Dog' Vachon.

 

Toronto Whippers - 'Whipper' Billy Watson. 

 

Edmonton Cripplers - Chris Benoit, 'The Canadian Crippler'

 

Calgary Harts - Hart Family(too bad the Hitmen name is taken).

 

Vancouver Thunder - 'Big Thunder' Gene Kiniski. Born in Edmonton but wrestled and promoted in Vancouver. Son Nick born in Vancouver. 

[Oso]

3 minutes ago, VancouverFan69 said:

I would expand into Canada. Because the XFL is connected to the WWE/pro wrestling, I would name the clubs after famous Canadian wrestlers from their respective hometowns.

 

Montreal Mad Dogs - Maurice 'The Mad Dog' Vachon.

 

Toronto Whippers - 'Whipper' Billy Watson. 

 

Edmonton Cripplers - Chris Benoit, 'The Canadian Crippler'

 

Calgary Harts - Hart Family(too bad the Hitmen name is taken).

 

Vancouver Thunder - 'Big Thunder' Gene Kiniski. Born in Edmonton but wrestled and promoted in Vancouver. Son Nick born in Vancouver. 

 

You'll see the XFL name a team after one of us before you see them name anything after Chris Benoit.

[29texan]

19 hours ago, Oso said:

 

You'll see the XFL name a team after one of us before you see them name anything after Chris Benoit.