Would you favor changing points scored TD, FG, etc?

[Hardline]

You need to make the distinction between rules that are for serious safety hazards vs rules that are for making money(pro pass league type rules)

Weren't you allowed to face mask on tackles back in the day?

You want that?

There was never a time where face masking was legal. I want the game of football to be physical like it used to be. You will never make football injury free unless you make it flag football. Football needs to go back to ground and pound and let defenses play without a disadvantage. That means lighting up WRs for going across the middle and stop treating QBs as untouchable.

I played TE in high school all 4 years and took some very hard hits .

 

[csirl]

The size, speed and strength of player has dramatically increased in the past 25 years alone

The athlete is a significantly more high precision weapon and stronger.

Rules have to be fluid for safety reasons.

Anyway...the scoring is fine the way it is. With the addition of the two point conversion(1 extra point to scoring)...I can do 1 extra point for 60+ yard field goals, making it 4 points.

That would make end of games interesting. 1 minute left...You're at mid field...do you go for the td or kick the fg?

I assume even if you run the clock to 3 seconds left, there would be a way to place the kick to at least 60 yards if you needed 4 points?

You could argue that the size/speed of todays players is a product of the rule changes. Different rules = different type of player.

 

[FanofJerry]

There was never a time where face masking was legal. I want the game of football to be physical like it used to be. You will never make football injury free unless you make it flag football. Football needs to go back to ground and pound and let defenses play without a disadvantage. That means lighting up WRs for going across the middle and stop treating QBs as untouchable.

I played TE in high school all 4 years and took some very hard hits .

Lol...high school.

So did I.

Not many 300lb high schoolers running 4.6. Maybe there are a few 225 kids...rare though.

I went to high school with Mike Williams. 2nd or 3rd overall pick out of Texas. Big, strong and extremely fast on his feet lineman. I need to look up his 40 time. He was fast for a big guy.

I just don't see the need for barbarian-ism.

These defenders are tackling. While at the same time jostling and trying to punch the ball out of ball carriers arms all in a matter of split seconds...yet they can't adjust their body to prevent falling on ball carriers legs if they tackle up top and pull a defender down? I don't believe it. You can try and tell me what you want me to think...if you want to waste your time.

The horse collar rule is a good rule. It's proven to have high frequency of injuries. And...I gave you a scenario of the defenders being quick minded enough in split seconds to make decisions. My opinion is that defenders can prevent falling on ball carriers legs in plenty of time...but don't. I'm glad they made the rule.

 

[IMGumby]

The NFL moved goal posts from the goal line to the back of the end zone in 1974 to free up the end zone for safety, improve passing/running into the end zone and reduce the number of field goals. The overall league field goal percentage was only about 67% in 1973. In 2024, about 85% of field goals were made and this includes a lot more from the 50+ range. I don't want to see a change in the scoring format but I think it is time to narrow the distance between the goal post from 18'-6" down to something more challenging.

 

[FanofJerry]

The NFL moved goal posts from the goal line to the back of the end zone in 1974 to free up the end zone for safety, improve passing/running into the end zone and reduce the number of field goals. The overall league field goal percentage was only about 67% in 1973. In 2024, about 85% of field goals were made and this includes a lot more from the 50+ range. I don't want to see a change in the scoring format but I think it is time to narrow the distance between the goal post from 18'-6" down to something more challenging.

I will co sign on this.

Leave everything same, make goal posts narrower.

I should have thought of this.

Didn't they do this like 10-15 years ago though

 

[IMGumby]

I will co sign on this.

Leave everything same, make goal posts narrower.

I should have thought of this.

Didn't they do this like 10-15 years ago though

No, the height of the cross bar and distance between the uprights have always been the same since the NFL began. The topic of narrowing the goal posts comes up occasionally in the media but I am not aware of anyone in the NFL actually proposing it. Only 23 yards of offense combined with the new kickoff rule that places the ball at the 35 yard line for kickoffs into or out of the end zone puts a team in FG position for a 60 yard kick.

 

[MisterWaffles]

NFL football, by and large, is a very good product that is commanding plenty of interest and profit as is. It doesn't need radical goofy changes like half-points. Minor tweaks only please, like going back to letting teams just go for an onside kick whenever without having to declare it beforehand to kill the surprise.

 

[FanofJerry]

NFL football, by and large, is a very good product that is commanding plenty of interest and profit as is. It doesn't need radical goofy changes like half-points. Minor tweaks only please, like going back to letting teams just go for an onside kick whenever without having to declare it beforehand to kill the surprise.

When would you say we witnessed peak football? 2010's

I agree with not changing it up too much with points...im cool with safety rule changes...

But yeah, such a great sport...don't tinker too much

 

[MisterWaffles]

When would you say we witnessed peak football? 2010's

I agree with not changing it up too much with points...im cool with safety rule changes...

But yeah, such a great sport...don't tinker too much

I would say peak would definitely have to be before the 17-game schedule, so at least three-plus years ago. The ridiculous imbalance of 17 games vs. the perfect balance of 16 (8 home, 8 away) still annoys me endlessly, like the NCAA tournament when it screwed with the perfect field of 64. I would also bring it back to before some of these excessive rules protecting offensive players. I would also bring it back to before all the running into the kicker and punter rules which I still largely hate as well because either you want guys to try to block kicks - which means running full bore straight at them - or you don't want it. The way it is now with these ridiculous penalties for defensive rushers just because they touched a punter or kicker because they were trying to block is dumb.

So I guess that narrows my window for the NFL's peak product to maybe the 1980s up through around 2005 or so. All that ranting said though, it's still a very, very good product as is right now.

 

[Blitzen]

I just can’t get interested much over the intricacies of a field goal kick. Who cares that this FG kicker made 6/6 attempts from 50 yards out? It’s a boring play unless it’s at the very end of the game.

If you want to impress me with a FG kick, hit one from 80 yards or more. The gameplay should dictate the enormous bulk of the scoring. Just be better on traditional offense or get the crap kicked out of you by the better and more entertaining team. I would be okay with greatly reducing the distance between the posts to discourage the use of FGs as a major way to score points. It would not take away from the game, it would just reduce the place kicker’s role-and who cares about that?

 

[BKBDAD]

I know the likelihood is remote because of tradition, but who cares about watching field goals decide so many games? Reduce field goals to one point and half points for extra points? Or increase TD points to 12 points and 2pt conversion to 4 pts? You could also increase a safety to 4 pts in that case.

I would rather more incentive to get aggressive in actually scoring TDs than kicking a field goal and strutting around. What say you?

HELL NO! It's been a part of the game since forever and we've already changed it enough such as not being able to hit anyone! NFL Football is as popular as ever and changing the core structure of the game isn't a step that should be considered!

 

[BKBDAD]

I’m saying who cares about stat comparisons? You could just do TD and yards comparisons for those that want to compare.

Lots of gameplay decisions are based on this. I would much rather see aggressiveness than passiveness. If you suck at scoring TDs, then my method encourages you to figure out how to not suck. 3 points is too many points(vs TDs) for some guy to go out and kick the ball through the up-rights (it increases the importance of the kicker and who cares that much about that player).

You must play a ton of Fantasy Football! This is Football at its highest level and to change what has made the NFL to be the most loved and popular sport in the U.S. would be asinine!

 

[BKBDAD]

I wouldn't change the scoring, but I'd make field goals a lot harder.

Try making a 47 yard FG with 2 seconds on the clock to win a Super Bowl! Scott Norwood would tell you the pressure is enormous!

 

[BKBDAD]

The rules devolved and the game got worse. The game isn't even half as good as it used to be. You might as well turn the NFL into flag football the way its going now.

I can't agree 100% but you're not wrong! It seems like every year the NFL puts in a new rule to take hitting out of the league and that is what the game used to be! And btw, when did the Tush Push become legal? It was illegal until it wasn't and it's not even a football play, it's Rugby!

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Try making a 47 yard FG with 2 seconds on the clock to win a Super Bowl! Scott Norwood would tell you the pressure is enormous!

Exactly. Being a kicker is not easy.

 

[Vtwin]

Try making a 47 yard FG with 2 seconds on the clock to win a Super Bowl! Scott Norwood would tell you the pressure is enormous!

Exactly. Being a kicker is not easy

Sure. The pressure is enormous and being a kicker or any other position in the NFL is not easy. It is also very true that the position has evolved since Norwood brushed up against infamy, and that long kicks are far more routine now than then. Combined with the emphasis on increasing offense/passing game it is much easier to get in to position to make a 55 yarder, now.

When Norwood missed that kick the odds of hitting a 50 yd kick were less than 50%. Now the odds of hitting a 50 yd kick are over 70%

Teams are attempting from over 60 and even 70 yards.

That is a major change to game.

 

[FanofJerry]

Agree with Vtwin here...the advancement the ball has become so efficient that a lot of kicks are from 30 to 35 yards...shoe-ins basically.

Seems like making a FG rule with a minimum might actually bring excitement to the game.

I agree with a lot of the sentiment of not messing with rules much...but the FG has gotten boring and a waste of time...and there is room to tweak something with FG if you don't want to remove it.

Without much thought about it...would making a minimum distance make the play more exciting? Seems like it to me, on quick thought.

Minimum 45 yards(or some area around there) seems like it would make the play more enjoyable amd not a shoe-in. Teams would also be forces to use analytics and other variables to decide if they want to kick it or go for it.

I could see making a minimum distance for FGs actually add to the excitement.

Adding another wrinkle to that...if you miss...the other team gets the ball at the 35 yard line...not at the 20 or 13 yard line or wherever you would have been.

It would make end of games so much more exciting. Can't just March down to the 15 yard line and chip in a 32 yarder for a win.

 

[Angus12]

. What say you?

 

[csirl]

Scoring is too easy. A greater use of the 20yd line - going back to the era where it was the default line for all restarts* - would somewhat rebalance scoring by giving teams a longer field and more FDs needed to get into FG range.

*All kickoffs, free kickds touchbacks etc should be from the 20.