2019 The Spring League season
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| 2019 The Spring League season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | The Spring League |
| Sport | American football |
| Duration | April 6 – 11 |
| Number of games | 2 per team |
| Number of teams | 4 |
| TV partner(s) | None |
| Season champions | Austin Generals |
The 2019 The Spring League season (or TSL Austin) was the third overall in league history, which was played in Austin, Texas. 2019 season practice began March 31, 2019, with double headers on April 6 and 11, 2019. Each of the four teams played two games.[1]
The League partnered with the XFL to test potential rule adjustments, experiment with potential in-game technologies and scout talent as the league prepared for its inaugural season.[2] The XFL paid the league "six figures" for its services, a payment that allowed The Spring League to turn a profit that year for the first time.[3]
The Spring League partnered with the XFL to test rule changes the new league hoped to implement for its own 2020 season. One rule change, originally proposed by Pro Football Talk in 2017, was replacing overtime with a two-point conversion shootout occurring simultaneously at both end zones with five rounds in the TSL.[4] Also tested was the tap rule, which allows a referee to send a player to the sideline for less than a penalty level offense.[5] Both rules and the kickoff formation were later implemented in the XFL.
Teams
For the first time, one of the teams had a brand name; the Austin Generals (formerly South) was named after its host city of Austin, and used the logo and colors of the former New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League.[1][6] The remaining three teams retained their generic North, East and West brandings.
The following coaches were part of the 2019 season:
- Bart Andrus (Austin)
- Marcel Bellefeuille (West)
- Don Wnek (North)
- Terry Shea (East)
Lynn Stiles was first announced as the North head coach,[7] but did not appear on the league final roster.