Three ex-Dolphins, Paul Warfield (42),
Larry Csonka (38) and Jim Kiick (21) with the Memphis Southmen of the WFL

WFL Action between Charlotte Hornets and Birmingham Americans

• Teams would kickoff from the 30y line, not the 40, to encourage more returns.
• Touchdowns were worth seven points.
• Instead of kicking the extra point, teams would go for an "action point" by running or passing.
• Missed FGs from outside the 20 would be returned to the line of scrimmage to discourage field goal tries.
• No fair catches were allowed on punts.
• Receivers needed only one foot inbounds to complete a catch.
• One offensive back would be permitted to go in motion toward the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped.
• The penalty for holding was 10y, not 15.
• If a game ended in a tie, teams would play a fifth period broken into two 7.5-minute segments. The team scoring the most points at the end of the extra 15 minutes would be the winner.

Did the changes increase scoring?

• The best answer is, "Somewhat."
• In its only complete season of competition, 1974, the WFL averaged 21.3 ppg, which was 3.1 points more than the NFL averaged that year.
• The WFL teams also averaged almost 14y more per game than their NFL counterparts in 1974.
• Since the rushing averages were essentially the same in the two leagues, the increase in yardage came from passing.
• The WFL didn't make it through its second season and folded October 22, 1975.

Many of the WFL rules innovations were eventually adopted by the NFL.

• 1974 - Kickoffs were moved from the 40 to the 35.
• 1974 - The penalty for offensive holding was reduced from 15 to 10y.
• 1974 - Sudden-death overtime was instituted for regular season games.
• 1994 - Kickoffs were moved to the 30.
• 1994 - Missed FGs from outside the 20 were returned to the line of scrimmage. Eventually, the rule would be amended to place the ball at the point of the kick.
• 1994 - The NFL finally adopted the two-point conversion, which had been in use in college football since 1958 and in the AFL during its entire existence (1960-69). The WFL didn't use the two-point conversion because it substituted the "action point" after each 7-point TD.
• 2011 - Kickoffs were moved forward to the 35 from the 30.