How does NFL Pro Bowl work in 2023? Explaining new format with skills competition, flag football game

Let the games begin. 

The NFL Pro Bowl is back with a major facelift this year. Gone is the full-on tackle football game of yesteryear, in steps a week's worth of stupid human tricks and tangentially football-related activities at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

Dodgeball, long drive and fancy catches highlight three of the week's eight minigame events, leading up to a flag football game for all the marbles on Sunday afternoon. 

This year's Pro Bowl has already been met with some controversy (and the standard amount of apathy), with a number of selections pulling out of the event. Questionable additions to the rosters have also led to debate surrounding the future of the Pro Bowl.

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Still, the NFL is trying something new with with this year's event in hopes to rekindle some fun — and maybe create some viral moments over the course of the weekend.

Here's how the new format will work.

NFL Pro Bowl 2023 format, events

In total, there are eight events leading up to the flag football games on Sunday, spread across two days: Thursday and Sunday.

Of the events, 4 1/2 will take place on Thursday, will another 3 1/2 will take place on Sunday.

Here's what they are, and how scoring breaks down:

• Dodgeball

A three-match tournament that features four teams. The first round: AFC offense vs. AFC defense and the NFC offense vs. the NFC defense. In the final, the AFC winners vs. the NFC winners square off. The winner earns 3 points for their conference.

• Lightning Round

Features three separate events. A water balloon toss and a punt-fielding competition lead to the final round, where players have to dump a bucket onto the opposing conference's coach.

• Longest Drive

Standard long-drive event — Four players from each conference have three opportunities to hit a golf ball as far as they can. The winner earns 3 points for their conference.

• Precision Passing

A fan favorite event, a minute-long accuracy competition for quarterbacks. 

• Best catch

The event is split between Thursday and Sunday. The catches are decided by a fan vote on Thursday, while a panel of celebrity judges determines the event's winner on Sunday.

• Gridiron Gauntlet

A standard obstacle course featuring breakaway walls, a wall climb and a blocking sled.

• Kick Tac Toe

Each team's kicker, punter and long-snapper compete to connect three boxes in a row, or five boxes total. Whoever is first, wins.

• Move the Chains

Four teams — two from each conference — compete in a weighted wall pull. The best-of-three playoff will determine a winner.

As far as scoring goes:

— Each competition is worth 3 points to a conference's final score, for a total of 24 points.

— The winner of the first two flag football games on Sunday also earn six points.

— The points from the eight events and the first two flag football games will be added up to be the score for the final flag football game. For example: If the AFC has a 24-12 lead entering the final flag football game, then that will be the score to start the last game. That game will determine the winner of the Pro Bowl games.

NFL Pro Bowl schedule 2023

• Dates: Thursday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 5
• Times: 7 p.m. ET (Thursday) | 3 p.m. ET (Sunday) 
• TV channel (U.S.): ESPN (Thursday) | ESPN, ABC, Disney XD (Sunday)
• TV channel (Canada): TSN1 (Sunday)
• Live stream: FuboTV, ESPN+

There are two broadcasting days of the upcoming skills competitions: Thursday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 5. 

Five events will be broadcast on each day, with the Pro Bowl flag football game closing out the Pro Bowl week events on Sunday afternoon. 

Here's the schedule for this week's Pro Bowl games:

Thursday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m. ET

Sunday, Feb. 5, 3 p.m. ET