The NFL changed the extra point rule

[poptart]

If a team wants to go for 1 pt, the ball is placed at the 15 yd line.
If they want to go for 2, the ball is placed at the 2 yd line.

I assume they could also go for 2 when the ball is placed at the 15 yd line.
Fumbled snap, etc. ...


I think what the league should have done instead is narrow the space between the goal posts.
Make the XP more difficult and make all FGs more difficult.
FGs have gotten way too easy as the years have gone by, imo.

Back in the day, a 50 yd FG was something.
Now it's rather routine.


Thoughts?

[Mikey]

Not sure the point of this rule change. Is a 32 yard kick (15 + 10 + 7) statistically more difficult than a 17 yard kick?

I'm not sure making longer kicks more difficult makes sense. They already increased the penalty for missing (spot of the ball vs. 20 yard line), but that was years ago so maybe it's time to shake things up again?

[mvscal]

Not sure the point of this rule change. Is a 32 yard kick (15 + 10 + 7) statistically more difficult than a 17 yard kick?

Yes. 99.5% for a PAT and 90% for a 32 yard kick. Plus only 11 kickers were perfect in the 30-39 yard range. Statistically the missed extra points should go from ~6 to ~114. That will make a difference and there is an opportunity for the defense to score now as well.

[Jay in Phoenix]

^^^^^^^^-This.

It will make the game more interesting and the angle about defensive opportunity is intriguing. I'm looking forward to it.

[War Wagon]

It's baseball season and the Royals are in 1st... I don't care.

Ask me in November.

[Joe in PB]

Narrowing the posts would make kicks harder for sure, it would also elevate the kicking position. I don't like the idea of more 1st round kickers come draft time. I'm fine with leaving Seabass in a class of his own. Kickers approaching 10 million a season would also suck.

Sounds ridiculous, but any kicker that can consistently make 50+ yard FGs with narrowed goal posts would give his team quite an advantage. I'm all for keeping the soccer pussies in soccer, and keeping football, football.

[Joe in PB]

Exactly, none of those guys were stretchered off the field grimacing in pain because someone stepped on their foot. Then were back in the game 2 minutes later.

[R-Jack]

Exactly, none of those guys were stretchered off the field grimacing in pain because someone stepped on their foot.

Especially not Dempsey

[Mikey]

Yeah, doze was da good ol' days.

You forgot one:

[Dinsdale]

I like the returns for 2. Pretty sure that the NCAA rule (doesn't come up much?).

Something that's become a problem for the NFL, is their obsession with keeping their rules different from the NCAA (where football started). If they'd bite the bullet and adopt the hashmarks of the NCAA, the game would be more exciting (and kicking becomes more difficult). A lot more strategy when the ball is placed closer to the sideline, including defending the weak-side (isn't really a weak or strong side with the NFL's silly hashes), and having to play towards the middle to create a kicking advantage. Those are elements that don't really exist in the NFL. It would actually make a spread into a "real spread," possibly, rather than the hilarious non-spread that NFL folks call a "spread."

[poptart]

RACK Dinsdale!

Right on.

[Joe in PB]

I'd be happier if they stopped bastardizing the game with rules changes every year. In a couple of decades its going to look like a combination touch football/soccer game.

[poptart]

It's been their direction for a long time.
They want a sport the world will embrace.

[mvscal]

I like the returns for 2. Pretty sure that the NCAA rule (doesn't come up much?).

Something that's become a problem for the NFL, is their obsession with keeping their rules different from the NCAA (where football started). If they'd bite the bullet and adopt the hashmarks of the NCAA, the game would be more exciting (and kicking becomes more difficult). A lot more strategy when the ball is placed closer to the sideline, including defending the weak-side (isn't really a weak or strong side with the NFL's silly hashes), and having to play towards the middle to create a kicking advantage. Those are elements that don't really exist in the NFL. It would actually make a spread into a "real spread," possibly, rather than the hilarious non-spread that NFL folks call a "spread."

I would definitely go for that. Anything that brings more strategy into the game is a good thing.