Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL, XFL agree to partnership involving game rules, health and safety protocols

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 2/21/22

The NFL and XFL have reached an agreement to collaborate on developing game rules as well as health and safety protocols, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported Monday.

The XFL maintains that the agreement is not a partnership deal and will not make it a developmental sub-league for the NFL. It will instead serve as a place for the NFL to try out new equipment and help develop prospective officials.

Today, the XFL announced it would collaborate with the @NFLFootballOps on select innovation programs to create increased player development opportunities on and off the field.

Read full announcement: https://t.co/4hnPEtPBL3
— XFL (@XFL2023) February 21, 2022

The next XFL season plans to kick off in February 2023 after a two-year hiatus. It will also get underway under new management, with business mogul Dany Garcia, RedBird Capital Partners and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at the helm.

"We are extremely pleased to collaborate with the NFL in these important areas," Garcia said in a statement from the league. "We are bringing forward an XFL that is progressive and forward-thinking when it comes to innovation, leveraging the newest technology to enhance game-day experience. We have an open field for innovative rules to enhance in-game access. Sharing insights and practices between the XFL and NFL will do a tremendous amount of good for the game of football and support the player ecosystem overall."

Future endeavors could include collaborations on international football development and scouting, the XFL release said.

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