Football developmental league slated for fall

Professional football has long lacked a minor league. They have the NCAA of course, which is more than happy to field college players who can be groomed for an NFL career, but there’s nowhere else for aspiring football players to turn to for development. Look no further than a new league sprouting up though for a change in the football landscape.

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The Charlotte Observer notes, “The Fall Experimental Football League plans to launch in October as a developmental league, with no NFL affiliation but with lots of intriguing ideas.”

Among those ideas are an elimination of the kicking and punting game to go with an open mind toward any changes. While the league is currently unaffiliated, FXFL commissioner Brian Woods is making no secret of his intentions with the league. “Our long-term goal is to establish a partnership with the NFL,” Woods says, “and we feel can do that on many platforms. It would give them a way to work with younger players that they don’t currently have.”

In addition to offering additional experience for players, Woods notes that such a league can be a training ground for coaches, referees and even executives.

The league will consist of six teams holding 40-player rosters, each playing about six games in a season. While the word experimental may be in the league’s name, this idea isn’t new and it’s one that’s intrigued the NFL and the NFLPA for a while. If it takes off, such a league could become a permanent fixture in America’s sporting landscape much in the way that minor league sports are so vital to the MLB, NBA and NHL.