Last week the NFL owners voted to change the point after touchdown (PAT) rule for this season. PAT will now be attempted at the 15-yard line making it a 33-yard attempt. The two-point conversion will stay at the 2-yard line. If the defensive team blocks a PAT or intercepts the ball in the end zone on a two-point try, the ball is now live. The opponent can return it all the way to the end zone for two points. Is this a good rule change?
The NFL wanted to change the PAT because of how automatic they have become. According to ESPN, since 2000, kickers have made 98% of their extra points. That number has gone up in 2010 to 99%. Kickers these days are more accurate and have stronger legs. They have been experimenting with moving the extra point. It was just a matter of time before they changed the rule.
The NFL hopes the conversion rate of PAT is lower and more teams go for two. According to ESPN there were 41 field goals last season from the 33-yard line and only two were missed. Over the past five seasons kickers have made that length of field goal 92.8% of the time. It doesn’t seem this rule change will have much of an impact.
Denver Broncos’ kicker Connor Barth isn’t in favor of moving the ball back. He has a better idea to make it more challenging for the kickers. Barth told the Denver Post “If they want to make it more exciting, narrowing the uprights would make it a lot more challenging than moving the extra point. Most guys can hit 33-yarders in their sleep.” Narrowing the uprights would be a game changer. It would be more difficult to make a PAT or even a field goal.
The NFL is trying to make the PAT more exciting. Returning a live ball for two points is a great idea. In all other levels they are allowed to return a live ball during a PAT. In years past when a defender intercepted the ball on a try, the play was ruled dead. Now they are allowed to potentially put points on the board. The NFL is all about more points. This will give the defense a chance to score.
The NFL will review this rule at the end of the 2015 season. They are probably going to find that kickers are still making the PAT at least a rate of 90%. The NFL may need to keep moving where the ball is placed or narrow the uprights to make it more difficult. It’s a step in the right direction for the PAT not to be automatic.
What do you think of the new NFL PAT rule?
Favor the move. Move it back even further and set the run/throw PATat 3 points for conversion as opposed to 2 points.
Sounds like more fun. Who gets an advantage though, the best teams or weaker teams?