While team owners didn’t vote on any extra-point proposals Wednesday, there was so much discussion and interest in potential changes that the issue will be a main focal point for the next set of league meetings in May.
“There’s a clear movement to wanting to change and change it this year,” said Rich McKay, co-chairman of the competition committee and president of the Falcons.
McKay’s committee will “develop alternatives and be ready for a potential vote” in two months in San Francisco.
Among the possibilities are moving the line of scrimmage back for PAT kicks; placing the ball on the 1½-yard line for a 2-point conversion; eliminating the PAT kicks entirely, requiring teams to run a play from scrimmage; and allowing the defense to score, as in college football, if the ball is turned over on a 2-point try.
McKay described the discussions as “lively, with lots of ideas … it’s time to make this a football play.”
“A couple coaches said they favor just lining up on the 2 and going for the 2-point play,” he said. “Or move the ball to the 1 1-2 for two points, or kick from the 15 for one, your choice.”
The league experimented with extra-point kicks from a longer distance last preseason.
Currently, the line of scrimmage for both an extra point and 2-point conversion try is the 2-yard line.
Voted down as the meetings concluded was Chicago’s proposal that each team get a possession in overtime regardless of what happens on the first series.
Now, if the side receiving the OT kickoff scores a touchdown, the game ends. If it kicks a field goal, the opponent gets a possession.
Unsportsmanlike penalties handed out at the end of a half now will carry over, either to the second half or to overtime.
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