When the United States Football League and XFL merged to form the United Football League, part of the deal was blending rules from each.
When it came to kickoffs, the UFL opted to borrow from the USFL and tee the ball up at the kicking team’s 20-yard line.
The XFL’s tiered conversion system – one that eliminates the PAT kick altogether – was adopted.
A team can score a single point by successfully reaching the end zone from the 2-yard line (via run or pass); two points for a scoring play from the 5-yard line; and three points for a successful try from the 10-yard line.
To say this rule has taken away the automatic aspect of “extra points” would be an understatement.
With half the season complete, only two teams are above the 50 percent mark in successful 1-point and 2-point attempts, while all three 3-point attempts have come up empty.
The Michigan Panthers have been largely successful on getting bonus points following TDs. After five games, they’re scoring 1-point conversions at a 57 percent clip and making 50 percent of their 2-point attempts.
“Let me tell you about analytics,” Michigan coach Mike Nolan said. “If I’m gonna do analytics, I want to know what my football team is capable of doing based on my people. I don’t like analytics when you take all eight teams in the UFL and put them together and say, ‘OK, the leaguewide stats said you go for it here’ and you don’t – that doesn’t do me any good. If I’m the eighth offense or the first offense, those are different analytics.”
Michigan is fifth in the league in total offense and fourth in scoring.
Interestingly, while the Panthers are 3-2, the team that is making 57 percent of their 2-pointers and half of their 1-point conversions is Arlington – the UFL’s only winless team at 0-5.
The Renegades are fourth in total offense and fifth in scoring.
“I’ll say this … from a simple standpoint, I’m always looking to keep a touchdown with an extra point above,” Nolan said. “In other words, if we score first, typically, I’m thinking of going for one. Why? Because that other team not only has to score a touchdown, but they have to score again.
“It’s not like the old kick (an extra point) and it’s automatic. There’s nothing automatic about going for it at the 2-yard line. There’s a little bit different thought process than in the NFL.”
While the 1-point conversion is the default mode for Michigan, the Birmingham Stallions are thinking two points when they score first.
Skip Holtz’s team has rolled to a 5-0 record but are oh-for-three on 1-point conversions and five-of-10 when scrimmaging from the five.
“We’re pretty much in the 2-point race right now,” Holtz said. “By rule, we’re gonna go for two unless we get into a game where one point means it’s an even game, or the one point is going to make the difference. You’d like to think that we were better on one than two, but that hasn’t been the case so far this year. We came into this year and said if we can be 50 percent on 2-point plays, it’s just like creating an extra point.”
The USFL also had tiered conversions, but the single point kick option was the most used during that league’s two years of competition.
In the UFL, the only way a kicker can score is by making a field goal.
“Going for two was a decision that we talked a lot about during camp,” Holtz said. “Even if you were 50 percent on one-point plays, you’re better off to go for two and then get 40 percent of them. And so that was a decision we made, but I’m still learning about this as well. Because I’m only five games into it, and the XFL teams had the opportunity to do this in the XFL a year ago.”
As for Nolan, any decision he makes following a Michigan touchdown will be dictated by circumstances – and how well his team deals with those circumstances.
“Obviously when you get into the fourth quarter, sometimes it becomes a little bit more serious than (a 1-point conversion),” he said. “You might have to go for three because you’re trying to catch up. But again, when it comes to analytics, I like to know what we’re capable of … I really don’t care about those other seven teams.”
Conversion stats
USFL Conference
Birmingham
1-point: 0-3 (0 %)
2-point: 5-10 (50 %)
3-point: 0-0 (0%)
Houston
1-point: 0-1 (0%)
2-point: 2-6 (33%)
3-point: 0-1 (0%)
Memphis
1-point: 1-6 (17%)
2-point: 1-3 (33%)
3-point: 0-0 (0%)
Michigan
1-point: 4-7 (57%)
2-point: 3-6 (50%)
3-point: 0-0 (0%)
XFL Conference
Arlington
1-point: 1-2 (50%)
2-point: 4-7 (57%)
3-point: 0-0 (0%)
DC
1-point: 0-0 (0%)
2-point: 2-10 (20%)
3-point: 0-0 (0%)
San Antonio
1-point: 5-9 (56%)
2-point: 1-5 (20%)
3-point: 0-1 (0%)
St. Louis
1-point: 3-6 (50%)
2-point: 5-11 (45%)
3-point: 0-1 (0%)