While the USFL’s opening weekend was largely successful, there were a few things the new league is surely hoping to improve upon moving forward. One thing the league is hoping to improve for Week 2 is the performance of their kickers after several struggled to put the ball through the uprights in Week 1.
USFL executive vice president of football operations Daryl Johnston announced on Thursday that the league is implementing a change in the footballs during games in order to help improve the league’s kicking quality.
“Our specialists came to us with concerns about the sensor technology impacting the kicking balls that we were using during the course of the game,” Johnston said. “So starting this week, we will be going back to a more traditional, K-Ball structure in the USFL.”
Going forward, each USFL kicker will kick with their own balls on kickoffs, punts, field goals and extra points, according to Johnson.
“This will not have any impact on the production value for the fan’s experience as they watch on television,” Johnston said.
The USFL posted solid ratings during its opening weekend. The league’s season opener between the Birmingham Stallions and New Jersey Generals peaked at 3.5 million viewers. While the game featured an exciting finish that included a last-minute, game-winning drive by the Stallions (1-0), it also included two missed field goals by the Generals, something that may not happen as much moving forward with the league’s change in footballs.
New Jersey (0-1) and the Michigan Panthers (0-1) will kick off the USFL’s second week on Friday night. The Pittsburgh Maulers (0-1) and the Philadelphia Stars (0-1) will meet Saturday at noon ET, while Saturday night’s game will feature the Stallions and the Houston Gamblers (1-0). Week 2 will commence with a Sunday afternoon showdown between the New Orleans Breakers (1-0) and the Tampa Bay Bandits (1-0).
