Television ratings for the NFL have fallen 17 percent over the past two seasons. The league is embroiled in a continuing crisis over concussions, and youth participation rates are falling.

All of this suggests a difficult future for football, yet the NFL’s most notorious competitor, Vince McMahon’s XFL, has a comeback in the works.

McMahon, chairman and chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, announced Thursday that he would take a second crack at professional football, with play scheduled to start in early 2020.

McMahon first tried to re-imagine pro football 17 years ago. The old XFL was a joint venture between the World Wrestling Federation (WWE’s former name) and NBC, which had lost rights to broadcast NFL games.

Violence was amped up: An opening scramble replaced the coin toss and fair catches on kicks were banned. Sex appeal was a point of emphasis, with cheerleaders who were more scantily clad than those in the NFL, and advertising that included innuendo about them.

Disorganization plagued the operation, and fans became disenchanted by the confusing, sloppy brand of football played by inferior players. The league collapsed after just one season.

Other than the name, this version will have little in common with the old XFL, McMahon said.

There will be no cheerleaders, McMahon said. Players with criminal records will not be welcome. Political statements, such as kneeling during the national anthem, will be prohibited.

— The New York Times