Report: Goal posts could be narrowed

[BLUE 1,026]

Posted by Mike Florio on December 14, 2014, 12:54 PM EST

With the NFL hoping to make extra points less automatic, one way would come from pushing the attempt back. Another could come from making the target a harder one to hit.

 

According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, teams were informed this week that the goal posts will be moved from 18.5 feet apart to 14 feet for the Pro Bowl. It’s part of an experiment that could lead to further experimentation — and eventually to a permanent change to a rule that has been in place since 1920.

 

This year, the NFL spent part of the preseason with the extra point attempt moved back to the 15 from the two, making it a 33-yard effort. Based on the reduced success rate, it was believed the experiment would become more permanent. The next step could be to increase the degree of difficulty for extra points and all kicks.

 

Source: ProFootballTalk

[BwareDWare94 723]

This

is fucking

dumb.

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

Everyone is kicking 90% it seems, so guess they want to make it more difficult.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Instead, why don't they try easing off the pro-offense rules to make scoring TDs more difficult?

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Is this really going to effect extra points that much? If anything, FGs are going to suffer mightily.

[Vin+ 3,121]

Haven't XPs always been automatic for the most part?

[Guest Phailadelphia]

Dan Bailey: *shrug*

[oochymp 2,393]

Yeah, I think this would have to big of an impact on field goals generally, if the goal is focused on making pats harder then they'd accomplish the same thing by increasing the distance of that

 

To Vin's question, Jan Stenerud, the only place kicker in the hall of fame, was 96.5% on pats playing from 67 to 85

[blotsfan 2,112]

I wouldn't mind. Field goal percentage had also gotten really inflated lately

[FartWaffles 1,857]

I wouldn't mind. Field goal percentage had also gotten really inflated lately

Agreed.

 

I always felt like settling for a field goal should be a punishment, not a safety net. Narrowing the goal posts could actually spark more teams to go for it on fourth down when in their opponent's territory, and personally I think that would be good for the game.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

How about like two different sets of uprights. A super narrow one for XP's and the current width for field goals.

[oochymp 2,393]

How about like two different sets of uprights. A super narrow one for XP's and the current width for field goals.

so that you could swap out the uprights after every TD? seems like an unnecessary delay

 

also, I didn't notice that they're doing this for the Pro Bowl, that's a bad idea for a few reasons, for one it's a really small sample size, you'll probably see a total of about 10ish PATs (this is the Pro Bowl, so maybe more) and 5 or 6 fgs max, hardly enough to really tell you anything, then you factor in that you're looking at the best kickers in the league (ideally) in what should be excellent conditions in Hawaii, which will skew the results, if they want to look at this they need to run it for at least one week of the preseason, like they did with the longer pats this season

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Why stop there? Install a windmill obstacle in front of the posts like it's a putt-putt golf hole.

[Bucman 891]

NFL trying to make a change for the sake of making a change.

 

How about reviewing the BS roughing the passer calls we've had this year and fixing that.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

so that you could swap out the uprights after every TD? seems like an unnecessary delay

 

 

Nah I used my expert MS Paint skills to explain:

 

Just a narrower set in the middle. If a FG clangs off the middle uprights than it's good.

[oochymp 2,393]

and you'd move it back to the goalline? (sorry, I couldn't resist ) makes more sense, but it just feels too gimmicky, I still think you could accomplish the same thing by backing up the PAT

[DBR96A 87]

 

Nah I used my expert MS Paint skills to explain:

 

Just a narrower set in the middle. If a FG clangs off the middle uprights than it's good.

 

I thought of the exact same thing, honestly. Paint the XP uprights orange, and the FG uprights and crossbar yellow.

[Maverick 791]

Let's not and say we did.

[BucD+ 648]

What is with their obsession with FGs and extra points??

 

Quit trying to fix what is not broken!!

 

You'd think they would have learned this by now, but that would be expecting too much, I suppose.

 

Those other things that need attention, though? Yeah...fuck those...

[blotsfan 2,112]

Extra points are kinda broken. It'd be a lot more fun if they weren't automatic

[Bay 2,003]

Why stop there? Install a windmill obstacle in front of the posts like it's a putt-putt golf hole.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Fuck kickers. Take the uprights away altogether. Fourth down is for offense or punters.

[FartWaffles 1,857]

Fuck kickers. Take the uprights away altogether. Fourth down is for offense or punters.

 

Hell yeah man! Sign me up for that shit. I'd +2 you if I could for this post.