WWE owner Vince McMahon is taking another shot at creating an alternative to the NFL with the XFL, which is set to launch on February 8th. The league released its rules this week, and they’re being received fairly well:

“What we did is listen to fans,” XFL commissioner Oliver Luck told ESPN. “And what they told us is that they love this game, but they would like it at a little more of a faster pace and with a little more excitement. They thought there is too much idle time. We tried to listen to what they didn’t want, also. They didn’t want gimmicks or things that were inauthentic.”

Changes made include:

• Allowing for one foot to be in bounds for a reception to count
• Chances to score one, two, or three additional points after a touchdown: no kicking, your point total depends on how far away you line up from the end zone
• A rule that allows two forward passes on one play, as long as the first pass doesn’t go past the line of scrimmage
• Shorter halftime and play clock durations to make sure games last no longer than 2 hours, 45 minutes
• A “shootout-style” Overtime setup where each team gets up to five chances to score. Possession is one play each turn.

The last attempt with the XFL… didn’t go so well, but it seems McMahon and his partners may have learned from the mistakes of the past. Gone are the lewd cheerleader plans, pro wrestling commentators, and opening scramble that – while exciting – led to a fair share of injuries. For football fans hoping for something after the NFL season ends, here’s hoping the quality of play manages to be better this time around too.

Oh, and as a St. Louis kid, “go Battlehawks.“