Hypocritical, Idiotic NFL Rule Change
May 20th, 2015
Bucs kicker Patrick Murray’s job just got more important.
Joe’s dome is shaking at the rule change made yesterday that pushes an extra point back to the 15 yard line.
Joe thought the NFL was trying to cut down on collisions and make the game safer. Isn’t that the company line shoved down fans throats for years?
But now the extra point, if blocked, can be returned by the defense to the end zone for two points. (Two points! That’s more than the extra point?) So instantly the extra point becomes a real play, which means there will be legitimate blocking, which represents more head collisions on the line of scrimmage, which occur on every snap.
How is that safer? Man, the NFL tries to sell all kinds of baloney.
It’s only a matter of time before some team calls to consult Greg Schiano to modify his blow-up-the-kneel-down play.
The rule change puts more importance on kickers, which just stinks. There was no reason for the change. The NFL says the game will be more exciting and implies that fans were calling for this.
More baloney. (Joe can’t wait to see the first team with a one-point lead take a kneel down to not risk the extra point block return. That’ll be good television.)
Joe would much prefer the league, if seeking more excitement, abandon the safety charade and move the kickoff back five yards.
May 20th, 2015 at 11:07 am
The nfl would be so much better if they reset the rule book 15 years(other than ot and a few exceptions) unfortunately I know I’m in the minority but all these rules built to create more offense are making this a much worse product…bring back the 10 yard chunk and let cornerbacks cover receivers! The best games I’ve ever seen have shorelines along the lines of 10-13 14-17…….nothing more boring than a 35-38 shootout where a 14 point lead in the 1st quarter is meaningless or an impressive sack is as valuable as an extra point
May 20th, 2015 at 11:10 am
“So instantly the extra point becomes a real play, which means there will be legitimate blocking, which represents more head collisions on the line of scrimmage, which occur on every snap.” – The Always Angry Joe Buc
May 20th, 2015 at 11:35 am
Agree with your last sentiment, the kickoff has become a bigger waste of time than the extra point. I see the hypocrisy you alluded to earlier in the post but I’m not really that moved by it. We’re talking about a push for safety that was brought on by an external influence. It was not born from a legitimate concern about their safety. This rule change is in the interest of entertaining game play. I’m for it. Like you, I’d like to see more entertaining game play that’s not special teams related along the lines of the bone crushing hits that caused us all to fall in love with the game in the first place but I’ll take what I can get at this point.
May 20th, 2015 at 11:37 am
Yup – (Joe can’t wait to see the first team with a one-point lead take a kneel down to not risk the extra point block return. That’ll be good television.)
May 20th, 2015 at 11:38 am
I agree Joe. For one thing we won’t see a fake from the 15 yard line so no surprise when a time team is going for it
May 20th, 2015 at 11:40 am
Next thing you know an interception return for a touchdown will be worth 9 points!
May 20th, 2015 at 11:40 am
Watching old NFL games on ESPN classic make me realize how much modern day NFL football has turned into flag football. As tortured Orlando said, the rules need to go back 15 years. Going back to the 1980s rules would be glorious!
May 20th, 2015 at 11:52 am
I was under the impression that the defense could only score as many points as the PAT was for (1 points for a kick, 2 points for a conversion).
May 20th, 2015 at 11:53 am
….Come on now! They have the best game in the world, make more money than any other sport (heck, probably more than the other major pro sports combined), have a fan base with such dedication that they will proudly tattoo and paint themselves to look like clowns, and they need to do silly stuff like change the extra point rules because “the fans want it”? Hey NFL, if you want to make it harder, why not simply move the vertical bars of the goal post closer together, like Arena Football did?
Boy, I can’t wait for the QB sack or holding penalty to cost a team 0.5 point, then we can have half time scoreboards that read:
Tampa +5.5 Atlanta -1.5
Morons!
May 20th, 2015 at 12:06 pm
I couldn’t disagree more.
“There was no reason for the change.” The reason is that the extra point was boring and useless. The kickoff situation is a different topic, but as far as the extra point goes what is wrong with adding excitement to the most boring play in the game?
As for safety, it’s football. Unless a team is kneeling the ball, which is an attempt to do nothing, then every player on the field should be performing like they are paid to do, with intensity.
Maybe you weren’t clear enough Joe, but I have no idea why this is a bad thing.
May 20th, 2015 at 12:07 pm
I don’t mind the rule change but didn’t think of the safety impact much until reading this. I doubt it makes a huge difference compared to the safety gained by other rules geared towards less concussions/etc.
May 20th, 2015 at 12:19 pm
pumped up on the rule change and if there comes to a last second td as has happened in many games over the history of the NFL who cares if there is a kneel down on the 2point conversion…..lets go this should be fun
May 20th, 2015 at 12:45 pm
College football > NFL football
And this is how it’s always been.
May 20th, 2015 at 12:59 pm
unless our offense improves, this could be a good thing for us. lol
May 20th, 2015 at 1:28 pm
The rule change is fundamentally flawed. It is not consistent with the rules of football. Whether an extra point or 1st-4th down, the ball is placed at the line of scrimmage and then the offense chooses what play to call.
The LOS can’t ever change based upon what offensive package you call. That fundamentally is incorrect. Besides, who in their right mind would want games to be decided by place kickers? It’s going to cause more teams to attempt to go for 2 when they don’t have to, which is not good for the sport. 2 point conversions weren’t even allowed in the NFL for most of its history, so it’s an incredibly radical change, this one.
Extra points aren’t supposed to be exciting, they are a reward for scoring a TD. The lack of understanding of the fundamentals of the sport are very troubling. Football has gone in a very radical direction (college and pro) in the last 10 years and it just keeps getting worse.
May 20th, 2015 at 1:51 pm
I think the rule change should have been to give teams an automatic 1 point unless they wanted to try for two. Talk about changing this first occurred when gronk got hurt on an extra point. They said their were going to reduce the amount of collisions. Who wants kickers deciding games?
May 20th, 2015 at 2:09 pm
The sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!!
Guys – this is much ado about nothing. It makes the game more exciting. Period. All this player safety BS is just that – BS. Arguing about making the NFL safer is akin to arguing about making knife fighting or Russian roulette safer. It’s a dangerous sport filled with violent collision and it has never been more popular.
The players get paid what they do because of the money-making machine that it is AND because of the violent risks they accept when they agree to play the game.
Someone above said going for 2 is not good for the sport. Couldn’t disagree more. Listen to the heart rate and voice pitch change of the announcers and stadium crowd whenever a team goes for two in the NFL. It becomes an “edge-of-your-seat” moment.
The NFL just figured out a way to make the game more exciting and to add even more strategy and decision making moments for head coaches so that we have more fodder to second guess from our Monday morning QB perches.
Bravo NFL. The rest of us will drink the Kool-aid and enjoy.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Joe probably didn’t like it when the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zone either!
May 20th, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Joe— They can’t kneel.. Extra points/2pt conversions are un-timed downs. Kickers decide games all the time. There are 3 phases to Football. Hitting in football is dying anyway.. more like hard pushing now.
May 20th, 2015 at 2:50 pm
So the pat will be moved to the 15 of they elect to go for 1. Of they go for 2 is the ball also placed at the 15 or back in its origial spot?
May 20th, 2015 at 3:04 pm
Can a team still go for 2 from the 2 yard line and do a drop kick thru the goal posts for 1 point?
May 20th, 2015 at 3:11 pm
I’m excited about this rule. PAT’s are so automatic there’s no point wasting everyone’s time kicking them, this should add drama and strategy to the game, especially in December when it’s cold and windy and playoff berths are on the line.
May 20th, 2015 at 3:23 pm
Nobody wants a kicker blowing a game. I don’t consider that more exciting at all. I’d rather get rid of kickers all together before making this change.
May 20th, 2015 at 3:31 pm
I believe their objective is to encourage more teams to go for 2 than the extra point, as the odds of each are actually closer, and the risk of a block greater. If this pans out, they will them eliminate the kickoff and just spot the ball at the 25 after a score. Pretty soon, they will eliminate the fg and any need for a kicker. This will open a roster spot for a more impact player, and eliminate spots taken by special teams aces. Additionally, eliminate the punter and it will be all offense and defense. Just think of the excitement! (Sarcasm)
May 20th, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Please get rid of the unabated to the quarterback and defenseless receiver rules and BRING BACK hitting in the secondary!!! Just not helmet to helmet. Also, those rules are far too randomly applied anyways. And it’s usually against the Bucs.
May 20th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
And move the kickoff BACK dammit!!!
May 20th, 2015 at 6:14 pm
My rule change would be go back to when the play goes out of bounds the clock stops until the ball is hiked. Too much running out of the clock when nothing is happening on the field. That and the disgusting commercial bombardment, one after another ruins the game.
May 20th, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Agree Joe 100% hypocrisy. I think though we need to see how the year goes and see some results. Like honestly how many block field goals you see in a season ? Probably less than 10.
May 20th, 2015 at 10:17 pm
Kick off is a waste of time and there should be no extra point. Just get 7 pts for a TD unless you try for two.
May 20th, 2015 at 10:56 pm
I am sure that if this rule was implemented last season Bucs special team’s coach O’Dea and his lads would have found a way to utilize it in finding a way to lose…. It is going to be interesting to see which team scores 2 on a blocked kick first, I sincerely hope it is not against the Bucs but you can almost see the ****ing sportscenter highlight on BSPN especially if it costs Tampa the game like the blocked FG in the home opener vs the Lambs…
Also, imagine if your kicker gets hurt during the game ala the Az Cardinal Grammatica showboating or by trying to tackle someone on a return??? Then the XP will be interesting as your punter may not be able to nail a 32 yarder and you may not have a Greg Yarno on the sideline who can kick when he isn’t blocking in the trenches. We will probably see a lot more 2 point attempts for sure.
May 21st, 2015 at 5:02 am
isn’t it only the 2-point conversion that can be turned into a defensive score? – not the 1 point xp?
anyone clarify this?
May 21st, 2015 at 7:33 am
From NFL dot com: “The NFL announced the extra point will now be kicked from the 15-yard line with two-point conversions remaining at the 2-yard line. The new rule also gives the defense the ability to score two points on returns.
According to the rule change, if the defense returns a blocked extra point or failed two-point try for a touchdown (i.e. on an interception), they will be awarded two points. Under the previous rule the ball was dead on a failed try.
NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino said teams could change their attempt decision if a penalty occurs. For instance, if a team chooses to go for two points and is called for an offensive penalty, they could then decide to kick a 1-point try.”
May 21st, 2015 at 10:24 am
Joe love the website but your last statement was a little ignorant. If a team is up by one at the end of a game they would most certainly go for 2 to try and make it a 3 point game.
May 21st, 2015 at 12:06 pm
Excellent rule change. Make the PAT relevant.
I played in the WFL. We couldn’t kick a PAT. A TD was worth 7 and the ball was placed on the 3 for an extra point, run or pass. Made huge differences in games.
Now move the kick off to the 30 like we had in the WFL. That will make KO’s relevant again.
But just say “no” to the Dicker Rod…