NFL to Consider New PAT Proposals Next Week

According to Brian McCarthy of the NFL’s league office, the league will consider new PAT proposals next week at the NFL Spring League Meetings, which are held May 18-20 in San Francisco, California:

Per McCarthy, there are two proposals that are under strong consideration regarding PAT’s:

  1. Move the line of scrimmage for attempted PAT’s from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line for kick attempts. Points will be awarded the same as they are now, 1 point for a successful kick from the 15-yard line, two points for a “touchdown” from the 2-yard line.
  2. Move the line of scrimmage for attempted PATS’s from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line for kicks and allow the defense to return any missed try. If either team scores a “touchdown”, 2 points are awarded. If either team gets a safety, one point is awarded. Otherwise, 1 point is awarded for a successful kick attempt as always, only this time from the 15-yard line. 2 points are awarded for a “touchdown” from the 1-yard line (not the 2-yard line as in the first proposal), providing even more incentive.

Both proposals are intended to make PAT’s a more competitive play, as extra points are for the most part, “a gimme”, after a team scores a touchdown when kicking from the 2-yard line in today’s game. Both proposals also incentivize the offense to more strongly consider going for 2, which should theoretically add excitement and fun to the game. However, the second proposal as noted above, will additionally allow the defense to score off failed PAT conversions, which is a new wrinkle entirely.

Nov 23, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri (4) kicks a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts defeated the Jaguars 23-3. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

For kickers as a whole, they aren’t likely to be too happy if one of these proposals gets approved. For what were once pretty much “chip-shots” for them, NFL kickers will be forced to make 35-yard kicks for a successful PAT attempt. Still, it doesn’t figure to be like the hardships encountered at the Pro Bowl, where field goal posts were also narrowed from 18 to 14 feet, and the Colts very own “Mr. Automatic” in Adam Vinatieri clearly struggled.

The NFL’s elite kickers should still make mostly all of their PAT’s even from 35-yards out, so the Colts need not worry too much, at least for as long as Adam Vinatieri’s kicking in the immediate future. It’s the fringe caliber NFL kickers, who will likely bear the brunt of this, and their teams may be going for two more as a direct result.

Both are interesting proposals that could definitely add some intrigue and excitement to the PAT play that has been pretty much lacking in anything other than predictability in the NFL’s recent history. It could potentially make the PAT an exciting “football play” once again.

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