NFL eyeing proposal to abolish extra points

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

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."

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by philfree

I'd hate that. Why not move it back to a distance where it's not such a gimmie. Spot it on the 20 and let them kick a 37 yarder. Depending on conditions it might cause coaches to go for 2 points more often.

But there again it removes a fake FG formation from a coach's playbook..

[Start Croyle]

"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."

This is dumb. The outcomes are exactly the same as they are now, except that there is no chance at all to miss the extra point. That means less drama in the game than there is now. Wasn't the reason for changing the rules to increase the excitement?

[listopencil]

I like the idea of eliminating the point after. They just about never miss and it's boring. The scoring needs to be worked out so that there is a decent risk/reward involved. I guess I wouldn't mind giving the scoring team the option of taking the 7 or going for 8 after a score.

[GoChargers]

Originally Posted by Start Croyle

Wasn't the reason for changing the rules to increase the excitement?

No, the reason for this is the same reason for all of Goodell's other rule changes - to increase scoring with zero regard to its effects on the product as a whole.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by GoChargers

It's pretty easy to hate. All Goodell cares about is scoring, and this will force teams to go for two (as in, MOAR POINTZZZZ). He's watering down the league one rule change at a time.

Why would it force teams to go for two? You make no sense.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Also I feel like it might improve the game flow.

Say a team scores a TD that looks iffy and it goes to automatic review. TV timeout, but in the 30-45 seconds the play's upheld and scoring team opts to take the point and kickoff. When action resumes from a TV view's standpoint there's about to be a kickoff whereas currently they might break back in for the score and then take commercial after the XP or 2-point conversion.

Yeah, I agree with that.

[GordonGekko]

Originally Posted by greatgooglymoogly

The NFL could do what rugby does and force the kicker to attempt the XP from where on the field the TD was scored. That would make it more difficult.

Example: Charles hits the outside, and just sneaks inside the pylon for the TD. Succop then has to kick from that sideline.

This actually sounds excellent, but make a maximum distance so that the 35 yard line or something like that is the maximum distance for a kick. But this also punishes teams for scoring long touchdowns so I don't know. Sounds exciting though.

Another option would be to bring in a random fan for the extra point. That would be cool but would never happen. Funny to think though a big 250 lb. woman coming in for the PAT. Haha

[KChiefer]

Originally Posted by GoChargers

It's pretty easy to hate. All Goodell cares about is scoring, and this will force teams to go for two (as in, MOAR POINTZZZZ). He's watering down the league one rule change at a time.

Uh, no. A team would have the option of taking a free point, or going for two. It wouldn't force anything.

[cosmo20002]

The extra point is a worthless play. If they can do it successfully 99.9% of the time, it might not be worth doing.

This is a little confusing: "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."

So a TD is worth 7. Then you can go for an extra point via run or pass, but if you fail, you lose a point? That seems too weird.

[Just Passin' By]

This proposal would bring into question any FG attempts from that distance. Why would they not get that same status as being automatic?

[Donger]

Maybe they could toss some random animals onto the field to spice things up? Perhaps some of those little monkeys infected with hemorrhagic fever.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by GoChargers

It's pretty easy to hate. All Goodell cares about is scoring, and this will force teams to go for two (as in, MOAR POINTZZZZ). He's watering down the league one rule change at a time.

Not that I care about Goodell, but he's not in charge. He doesn't change shit unless the owners want him to change it.

[greatgooglymoogly]

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

This actually sounds excellent, but make a maximum distance so that the 35 yard line or something like that is the maximum distance for a kick. But this also punishes teams for scoring long touchdowns so I don't know. Sounds exciting though.

In rugby, I believe they have a set distance for those kicks, but I can't find it off-hand. Anyway, my intention was for this kick to be attempted along a horizontal line that stretches from sideline to sideline.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

But there again it removes a fake FG formation from a coach's playbook..

Fake EP.

[listopencil]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

The extra point is a worthless play. If they can do it successfully 99.9% of the time, it might not be worth doing.

This is a little confusing: "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."

So a TD is worth 7. Then you can go for an extra point via run or pass, but if you fail, you lose a point? That seems too weird.

Yeah, the sentence structure is weird in that quoted bit. What they mean is that when you score a TD you get 6 points. After that you can accept a free 1 point (for 7) and go kick off, or decide to run a 2 point play under current rules (for 8). If your play fails, you are left with the points you scored for a TD (6) and you go kick off.