How long are XFL games? Comparing game length in XFL and NFL

The XFL is back and better, with the aesthetically pleasing American football league back for another season.

The league has had its up and downs, but hopefully, it will stick around longer than it did the last time. The XFL has an array of unique features compared to its more popular competitor, the NFL.

Here, we will look into one of those aspects, comparing the length of XFL games to that of the NFL. So, without much ado, let's get going:

---

Game length in XFL vs NFL

The XFL operates with a 35-second play clock, which begins following the previous play.

The clock starts following incomplete passes and out-of-bounds plays before the two-minute warning of either half. The clock stops following first downs after a two-minute warning of either half.

Once the clock stops, the first and second halves are split by ten minutes. Each team is granted three timeouts per half. If both teams are tied following a regular game, overtime ensues.

Overtime consists of alternating attempts from the opponent's five-yard line, with each team getting three attempts. Each attempt can garner two points per score. If that doesn't work, a shootout happens till a winner is decided.

Meanwhile, NFL games are typically scheduled to take place over 60 minutes, broken into four 15-minute quarters. Note that if both teams are tied at the end of 60 minutes, they go into overtime to determine an outright winner.

If the game is tied after 60 minutes, an extra 10-minute period is played to determine a winner. The game is declared a draw if the score remains equal after the overtime period in the regular season. However, if it's a playoff game, more overtime is played till there's one clear winner.

---

Who is the best former NFL player in 2023 XFL?

Many decent former NFL players will be playing the XFL this year. Some standouts include Matt Elam, Paxton Lynch, AJ McCarron, and Vic Beasley. Josh Gordon, though, made more noise (for the right and wrong reasons) than the above names.

Gordon is a wide receiver for the Seattle Sea Dragons and was once the brightest young talent at wide receiver in the NFL. He was an All-Pro at wideout in the National Football League ten years ago and had a marvelous 2013 season with the Cleveland Browns. However, he couldn't shake off his substance abuse troubles, which eventually took him out of the NFL.

Gordon had a ten-year career in the NFL, playing for Super Bowl-caliber teams like the Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and the Tennessee Titans. He put up a respectable stat line of 4,284 passing yards and 21 touchdowns over 77 NFL games. Gordon would hope that a strong showing in the 2023 XFL season gives him another shot at the NFL.