News: BTB: NFL To Vote On New Extra Point Rules

[NewsBot]

It looks like the most boring play in pro football is about to get a little more interesting.

You are going to have to be a little quicker going to the fridge for another beer during NFL games. No longer will you be able to get a jump on your resupply run by heading away from the screen as the teams line up for the almost automatic extra point. After a great deal of speculation that it was coming, the NFL owners will be voting on three proposals to change the rules to make that extra point quite a bit harder.

Although it is not specifically stated, it appears that the consensus is that there will be a change, with some details to be worked out. In all three proposals, the ball will be placed at the 15 yard line for extra point kicks, which will make it a 32 or 33 yard kick. It is just a little bit more than a chip shot, but not nearly as easy as the current try from the 2 yard line.

There are two other things that will be determined, depending on which option is chosen. One would keep the two point conversion as it is, from the 2 yard line. Another would move it to the 1 yard line, and allow the defense to score on the play if they can intercept or recover the ball and run it into the opposite end zone. There is also a proposal to leave the two point attempt at the 2, but allow defensive scores. The defense would still not be able to score on a blocked kick from the way the article reads.

The Cowboys are blessed with one of the most accurate and dependable place kickers in Dan Bailey. They place such a high value on him that he was signed to a seven year, $22.5 million contract last year. With the extra point apparently moving back, he could become the difference maker in even more games this year.

The rule change is one that is clearly designed to add a bit more excitement and drama to the game. It is fair to say this is a made-for-TV move. Some teams will suffer from having less consistent kickers, while there will probably be more two-point attempts, especially if those are moved to the 1. Some teams who lack confidence in their kicker may decide to go for two as the normal extra point try. This might also be something that is analytically driven, if some teams calculate their chance of converting the two pointer is enough above 50% to offer an advantage.

Traditionalists may decry this, but the game has changed constantly over the years. This is just a very visible one. What do you think about it?

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Poll
Are you in favor of moving the extra point kick back?

• Yes, it will make the game more interesting.
• No, there is no reason to change just for change's sake.
• The important thing is how well the ball is inflated.

22 votes | Results

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