NFL eyeing proposal to abolish extra points

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NFL eyeing proposal to abolish extra points
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By Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer
Published: Jan. 20, 2014 at 04:53 p.m.
Is the extra point about to go the way of the dinosaur?

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told NFL Network's Rich Eisen on Monday that the league's Competition Committee might eventually abolish the time-tested point after touchdown in favor of a brand-new scoring system.

"The extra point is almost automatic," Goodell said. "I believe we had five missed extra points this year out of 1,200 some odd. So it's a very small fraction of the play, and you want to add excitement with every play.

"There's one proposal in particular that I've heard about. It's automatic that you get seven points when you score a touchdown, but you could potentially go for an eighth point, either by running or passing the ball, so if you fail, you go back to six."

Extra points have become an afterthought. Unless you're up against Lawrence Taylor in Tecmo Bowl, there's virtually zero drama attached to the point after. Taylor's old coach Bill Belichick has often opined about about how unnecessary the extra point feels.

Goodell said "some issues" stand in the way of a change, asking: "Is that going to discourage people from going for two?"

We doubt it. Teams inclined to go for the deuce will continue to do so in situations that call for an eight-point score -- with the same potential consequences. Traditionalists might disagree, but this is a good idea long overdue.

Well, unless you're a kicker.

Goodell's entire interview will air Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network's "Total Access."

[GloryDayz]

I think I'd prefer to the kicking team lose a player, maybe two for that play. Make it 9-on-11 if they line-up for a kick and you might see more blocked kicks (making it more exciting), and you'd not have to move the ball back to make it a harder attempt.

If they line up for a regular play, then you get all 11 players (and none can be a kicker). If 11 players can fake a real play and turn it into a kick, well that's fine and good luck.

[Rain Man]

Another option would be to have the cheerleaders run the extra point play against each other. That would be entertaining. Or maybe the coaching staff.

Or - OH! FANS! You pull fans wearing jerseys out of the stands, randomly assign them positions, and they run the extra point play. How exciting would that be?

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Sannyasi

I think the only argument in favor of the extra point is "Well, this is how we've always done it."

Like hitting??? Yeah, Roger does what Roger wants (or is told to want)...

[Rain Man]

If a player scores, he turns and runs back in the opposite direction. If he reaches the 20, it's one point. If he reaches the 50, it's two points. If he reaches the other end zone it's three points and he turns back around to try again. The play keeps going until he's tackled.

[mikey23545]

Since a sack occurs on 10% of all passes, an automatic 10 yard loss will be called on every 10th pass play, and all pass rushing will be banned...

[mikey23545]

Since running plays average 3.9 yards per attempt...

[Brock]

I've heard the arguments. I acknowledge it's a worthless play.

I still vote no.

[Sannyasi]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Like hitting??? Yeah, Roger does what Roger wants (or is told to want)...

Good argument.

The extra point is like an appendix. It is a remnant from a different historical period, when football was not the same game that we know today. It serves no purpose anymore. If the extra point did not already exist, there would not be single person arguing in its favor.

Presumably the people who want to keep it around are the types that a century ago would have been arguing against the legalization of the forward pass.

[Rain Man]

How about this?

No two-point plays, and the extra point kick must be attempted from the spot in the end zone where the touchdown was scored. Catch a nice fade in the back corner? Let's see if your kicker can bend it like Beckham.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by mikey23545

Since a sack occurs on 10% of all passes, an automatic 10 yard loss will be called on every 10th pass play, and all pass rushing will be banned...

Originally Posted by mikey23545

Since running plays average 3.9 yards per attempt...

You'd have a point except here we're not talking averages. We're talking about near certainties.

[Brock]

Stop changing the game, unless we're changing it back to the near perfect game it was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

[mikey23545]

Originally Posted by -King-

You'd have a point except here we're not talking averages. We're talking about near certainties.

Bullshit. It's exactly the same thing. In the case of the extra point, the average is one missed extra point every 0.4% of attempts so they're saying let's just say they're all good...It's still being based on averages...

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by Brock

I've heard the arguments. I acknowledge it's a worthless play.

I still vote no.

I like to waste 30 mins a game on worthless plays also.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by Simplicity

I like to waste 30 mins a game on worthless plays also.

So after 50 years of play, the games are too long all of a sudden?

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by Brock

So after 50 years of play, the games are too long all of a sudden?

Yes.