The XP should be eliminated

[wiffleball 4,690]

Look, the XP is nothing more than a way to shove in about 6 more minutes of commercials. We all know that. It's a "gimme". I'd imagine the NFL's XP completion percentage in the modern era has to be somewhere in the 99.99% range. Regardless, it's boring and more to the point, makes no sense. To wit:

 

You march down the field and, after 17 plays, you come to 4th down at the 2. You kick the ball and get 3 points.

 

Alternatively, you march down the field and after 18 plays, you score a touchdown. You hike the ball from the 2, kick it and get 1 point. WTF?

 

Basically, if people are going to take a piss, get a beer, they do it after the TD. They know that there will be at LEAST six minutes of commercials for what? 3 seconds of "action?" "Action" that is virtually guaranteed to be a no-brainer?

 

So, realizing this, the league decides to make the game MUCH more exciting. You eliminate the XP entirely. Instead, you offer the 2PC as the only alternative.

 

Who's going to leave under this scenario? You still get the same number of commercials. You guarantee your sponsors MUCH better viewership during those periods, you eliminate a meaningless play AND you make the game significantly more exciting. Moreover, you eliminate the stupidity of awarding different points for the same freaking action. (3 points for a 35 yard FG, 1 point for an XP).

 

It's not like there isn't a precedent here. Every other major league sport has adjusted the game accordingly as players and the game advanced. The strike zone, the 3 point line, the basket height, something do with hockey that I couldn't care less about, etc.. (I'm sure you basketball, hockey, baseball guys can elaborate.)

 

I can't think of a single viable argument against this. It's a win-win for everybody. Thoughts??

[frank 2,174]

Alternatively, you march down the field and after 18 plays, you score a touchdown. You kick the ball from the 35 and get 1 point. WTF?

 

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Moreover, you eliminate the stupidity of awarding different points for the same freaking action. (3 points for a 35 yard FG, 1 point for an XP).

 

No you don't. Now, instead of your 1 to 3 point disparity on 35 yard kicks, you have a 2 to 6 disparity on getting into the endzone from the three yard line.

 

Overall though, I don't have a huge problem with your idea, other than the fact that it favors offensive teams. Defense is already slowly being legislated out of football, we shouldn't make it even harder for defensive teams.

[edjr 5,773]

I say get rid of the kickers all together.

 

Kickers and Punters.

 

Play like 99% of people that play Madden online.

 

4th and 34 from your own 6? GO FOR IT!!

[Busted by the Feds 9]

If there is anything I'd get rid off is Holding penalties. They just slow the game down and negates some spectacular plays. The refs just use it sometimes, I think, to "ticky tack" the game to death. What was it put there to prevent anyway ?

 

As far as making the kicking game more exciting, take a cue from fantasy football -- any kick of 40-49 yards are worth 4 pts., 50 yds. plus get 5 points.

[parrot 789]

As far as making the kicking game more exciting, take a cue from fantasy football -- any kick of 40-49 yards are worth 4 pts., 50 yds. plus get 5 points.

Yeah, cuz what's more exciting than field goals?

 

If anything the league should discourage field goals. Move the uprights in about four feet on either side. This would make the XP marginally tougher as well. They should also do away with rules regarding block attempts. If the defense wants to launch a midget over the line of scrimmage to block a lame-ass field goal, more power to them I say. How would this make the game anything but more interesting?

[Dan 60]

Yeah, cuz what's more exciting than field goals?

 

I dunno. If you saw the New England-Buffalo game at the end of the year, field goals were pretty exciting. It's the first time I have ever seen a ball look like it was heading wide left by about 10 yards, to have it swing all the way to the right, and miss by a big margin. We watched the play with our jaws on the floor.

 

 

 

[parrot 789]

I dunno. If you saw the New England-Buffalo game at the end of the year, field goals were pretty exciting. It's the first time I have ever seen a ball look like it was heading wide left by about 10 yards, to have it swing all the way to the right, and miss by a big margin. We watched the play with our jaws on the floor.

 

I did see it and thought it was awesome. They should have massive wind machines on hand when mother nature won't hold up her end. Anything that discourages field goals is all right by me.

[wiffleball 4,690]

Yeah, cuz what's more exciting than field goals?

 

If anything the league should discourage field goals. Move the uprights in about four feet on either side. This would make the XP marginally tougher as well. They should also do away with rules regarding block attempts. If the defense wants to launch a midget over the line of scrimmage to block a lame-ass field goal, more power to them I say. How would this make the game anything but more interesting?

[edjr 5,773]

The NFL should set up the field goal posts like the indoor league. Make them narrower and make the ball live if it misses and bounces back into play.

[Dan 60]

I did see it and thought it was awesome. They should have massive wind machines on hand when mother nature won't hold up her end. Anything that discourages field goals is all right by me.

 

[GobbleDog 827]

Require teams to DROP-KICK all extra points. Problem solved.

[parrot 789]

Require teams to DROP-KICK all extra points. Problem solved.

 

I like this one!

[wiffleball 4,690]

I like this one!

 

 

"In yet another miraculous comeback to a legendary career, Doug Flutie has now re-signed with.... "

[cribdog 0]

I say get rid of the kickers all together.

 

Kickers and Punters.

 

Play like 99% of people that play Madden online.

 

4th and 34 from your own 6? GO FOR IT!!

 

I agree with this completely!

 

[Steelers 1 0]

The NFL should set up the field goal posts like the indoor league. Make them narrower and make the ball live if it misses and bounces back into play.

 

I agree with your 1st suggestion to narrow the uprights to discourage too many field goal attempts, maybe 5 feet per side. I don't want to see the misses bounce back in though, I don't want arena league rules in the NFL.

[LunaTick 29]

Granted a Kickers duel can be rather anti climatic.

 

But what would be worse is a game ending in a 0 - 0 tie.

 

 

The problem is that it is near impossible for most teams to rush the kicker and effect a FG.

Late 70's the Vikes did this frequently, but the league out lawed the jumping on the linemens backs.

 

I say, change the lineup. no more filling up the box with all 11 players. Make the Off line up a pair of wr's.

More apt to do a trick 2 pt conversion.

Gets a few less bodies on the line.

 

What else might be done to add more blocks to the FG game?

[jaxjag 43]

No problem with the extra point (a 19 yard kick... WTF 35???)...

 

The success rate is probably near 99% but certainly nowhere near 99.99%. The difference is failure in 1 per 100 not 1 per 10,000.

 

I like the choice of 1 point vs 2 because of the risk/reward and strategy.

 

Now if you don't like FGs... widen the hash marks and create more of an angle.

[parrot 789]

No problem with the extra point (a 19 yard kick... WTF 35???)...

 

The success rate is probably near 99% but certainly nowhere near 99.99%. The difference is failure in 1 per 100 not 1 per 10,000.

 

I like the choice of 1 point vs 2 because of the risk/reward and strategy.

 

Now if you don't like FGs... widen the hash marks and create more of an angle.

 

Not sure where the guy in this link got his stats, but

 

Through week 13, only 3 extra-point attempts failed out of 884 tries. That’s a success rate of 99.66%.

Link.

 

This guy suggests that moving the spot of the ball up might work to discourage the kicked XP by making the two point conversion more inviting. Interesting take.

[edjr 5,773]

Granted a Kickers duel can be rather anti climatic.

 

But what would be worse is a game ending in a 0 - 0 tie.

The problem is that it is near impossible for most teams to rush the kicker and effect a FG.

Late 70's the Vikes did this frequently, but the league out lawed the jumping on the linemens backs.

 

I say, change the lineup. no more filling up the box with all 11 players. Make the Off line up a pair of wr's.

More apt to do a trick 2 pt conversion.

Gets a few less bodies on the line.

 

What else might be done to add more blocks to the FG game?

 

The NFL would be much more fun if they allowed players to launch themselves off of other players to block field goals.

 

How cool would it be if you could have a 300 pound guy get on his hands and knees and allow a 185 pound guy to run and jump off of his back at the kicker?

[parrot 789]

The NFL would be much more fun if they allowed players to launch themselves off of other players to block field goals.

 

How cool would it be if you could have a 300 pound guy get on his hands and knees and allow a 185 pound guy to run and jump off of his back at the kicker?

 

The only rule should be that everyone is onsides and both feet are on the ground when the ball is snapped. Everything else goes.

[LunaTick 29]

Oh the launching of players off the linemens backs was awesome.

 

Matt Blair made a living off of it.

 

The league, fearing for health of linemen, changed the rule.

Yet know of know linemen that was injured as a result of this play.

 

This before 300 lb linemen.

[t.j 35]

6 minutes of commercials per XP?

35 yard line?

 

What planet are you on?

[deejsixer 0]

why not just make the xp 35 yds? it is still almost automatic, although it would virtually eliminate a fake PAT for 2 points so nevermind. I talked myself out of it.

[RoadLizard 73]

Just get rid if the XP altogether. Its dumb. Keep in mind though that the NFL and TV networks LOVE extra points. Its another chance for them to take a commercial break or whatever so theres monetary reasons why they leave the XP in there!

 

I say dump it: TDs are worth seven points or even six points and thats the end of that!

[wiffleball 4,690]

Saw this in Peter King's column:

 

Kickers have become so much more accurate in recent years, and that's impacting the end of overtime games far more than in the early days of the system. From 1974-78, the first five years of the overtime system, field-goal kickers made a combined 62 percent of their kicks. Four teams in 1974 were under 50 percent in field-goal accuracy. In the last five years, kickers have made 82 percent of their field-goal attempts. Quite simply, the game has changed.

 

 

While he's talking about overtime, I bet the XP % are even higher.

[KSB2424 3,087]

Isn't the 2 point conversion rate in the NFL over 40% almost every year? Well why don't we ever see a coach make the 2 point conversion play(s) a huge priority in practice. That rate for a good team could easily be closer to 60% if it was made a big priority. Then go for two every damn time. I mean every single time. You will score more points over the course of a season. It's math.

[parrot 789]

Just get rid if the XP altogether. Its dumb. Keep in mind though that the NFL and TV networks LOVE extra points. Its another chance for them to take a commercial break or whatever so theres monetary reasons why they leave the XP in there!

 

I say dump it: TDs are worth seven points or even six points and thats the end of that!

 

They need to tweak it to make it less automatic and the 1/2pt cost/benefit consideration more relevant. Dumping it is a horrible idea.

[RamslovaMartzhata 3]

The original post is so full of idiocy, that it's beyond me how anyone can call themselves a football fan after stating such nonsense.

 

1) Extra Points are kicked from the 10 yard line, and are equivalent to a 20 Yd FG. Where's the 35 come into play?

 

2) There are not 6 minutes of commercials packed in because of the extra point. In fact there isn't even one second of a commercial break because of extra points... the commercial break isn't until after the extra point try. What they should do is get rid of the commercial break between after the kickoff and the offense's first play.

 

3) As rare is it is, there are occasional missed extra point tries for whatever reason. And they seem to matter when it happens. JUST ASK TONY ROMO HOW AUTOMATIC IT IS.

 

 

 

 

Since we are on the subject... I think an interesting twist to the game is that if a kicker kicks the ball through the uprights on a KICK OFF, then the team is awarded an additional point.

[wiffleball 4,690]

The original post is so full of idiocy, that it's beyond me how anyone can call themselves a football fan after stating such nonsense.

 

1) Extra Points are kicked from the 10 yard line, and are equivalent to a 20 Yd FG. Where's the 35 come into play?

 

XP's are placed at the LOS on the 2 yard line. The point is how many points do you get for a 20 yard FG? A 20 yard XP? You get the same points for both - or for a 35 yard FG - it's stupid.

 

2) There are not 6 minutes of commercials packed in because of the extra point. In fact there isn't even one second of a commercial break because of extra points... the commercial break isn't until after the extra point try. What they should do is get rid of the commercial break between after the kickoff and the offense's first play.

 

Bullshiit. You must not watch football at all. They break to set up for the XP, come back (barely), then break again to set up for KO.

 

3) As rare is it is, there are occasional missed extra point tries for whatever reason. And they seem to matter when it happens. JUST ASK TONY ROMO HOW AUTOMATIC IT IS.

 

What? Every 10,000 XP's? Stupid.

 

The point remains, every other sport adjusts as the game develops, when statistically, something becomes damn near a given, you adjust. Like Peter King said, back in '74 you had teams below 50% in FG%. Now? Unfocking HEARD of to be that low. Now? It's at 82% - and damn sure higher for XP's. - Like 99.66%.. That's ridiculous. You've got better odds of a streaker coming on the field than an XP getting missed.

 

I'll post the whole article seperately.

[wiffleball 4,690]

Extra-points are getting out of hand this year. The PAT success rate is normally very high, but this year it’s reaching absurd levels. Through week 13, only 3 extra-point attempts failed out of 884 tries. That’s a success rate of 99.66%. Sheesh, that’s even higher than Ivory Soap.

 

Sorry, but anything that consistent isn’t a game anymore. To put it in context, the number of missed PATs is down by about 90% from 20 years ago. Remember, football is a game. That means it’s supposed to be, you know, fun to watch. Well, 99.66% ain’t fun to watch. It’s a mockery of sports. The PAT has become a useless play that could only cause injuries.

 

So should we just get rid of it? Nah, it’s been around forever, so let’s try modifying it.

 

How about moving the extra-point line back? Well, let’s look at the data. In the 20 to 29-yard range, kickers have made 203 of 206 attempts this year for a 98.54% success rate. I’m assuming that’s a median attempt of 24.5 yards, meaning the line of scrimmage is about the 7 or 8. Remarkably, that lower success rate is still higher than the league’s extra-point success rate until 15 years ago.

 

One idea would be to move the PAT line back to, say, the 10-yard line. Of course, that would make a two-point conversion much harder. The problem is that the 2-point conversion already can’t compete from the 2-yard line. The success rate runs at 44% which makes it inefficient compared to the 1-point try. The 2 is only used when it has to be. (Do the one- and two-point attempts have to take place at the same place? Hmmm. For simplicity’s sake, I’d say yes).

 

Here’s a look at the percent of missed PATs going back to 1974 when the NFL moved the goalposts to the back of the endzone. I should note that there have been some rule changes. For example, running “leaps” by the defense were banned in 1984. Cool to watch but probably a bit dangerous.

http://www.crossingwallstreet.com/archives...to_ditch_t.html

 

Can't post it, but the graph shows what a dramatic change the success rate has been through. The game changed. Change the rules accordingly.

[wiffleball 4,690]

Another good article advocating narrowing the goal posts:

 

Reader Eddy Elfenbein makes a great point about extra points. I also like the idea of narrowing the field goal posts, something Bill Cowher advocated last Sunday. It would not only make extra points less certain, it would make fourth down conversion attempts more common and make overtime less susceptible to the 'lose the coin toss, never touch the ball' phenomenon.

 

Ideas like these really aren't that revolutionary. They would just be returning the game to its 'natural' balance. Kickers have become so accurate in recent decades that it has warped the game from its original intent. But NFL football has certainly evolved in many ways, and its unparalleled success makes tinkering with it a tough sell.

 

Extra points have become so automatic, I don't even pay attention. They're just going to be surrounded by commercials featuring that stiff Sprint CEO and the Bud Light drinkability chick in the green jersey. The only reason to watch them is when there is a possibility of a challenge on the touchdown.

 

Kicking field goals is such a peculiar and specialized thing. It has almost nothing to do with the rest of the sport but can be so decisive. It would be like getting extra runs in baseball by lacing up some skates and slapping a shoot-out shot after every home run.

http://www.advancednflstats.com/2008/12/ch...tra-points.html

[RamslovaMartzhata 3]

2) There are not 6 minutes of commercials packed in because of the extra point. In fact there isn't even one second of a commercial break because of extra points... the commercial break isn't until after the extra point try. What they should do is get rid of the commercial break between after the kickoff and the offense's first play.

 

Bullshiit. You must not watch football at all. They break to set up for the XP, come back (barely), then break again to set up for KO.

 

 

Regarding commercial breaks: You are the one who doesn't watch football. They do not break for extra points.

 

Regarding this comment: "XP's are placed at the LOS on the 2 yard line. The point is how many points do you get for a 20 yard FG? A 20 yard XP? You get the same points for both - or for a 35 yard FG - it's stupid."

 

WTF are you talking about??? Are you trying to say that you should get the same amount of points for both? If that's the case, let's just change all the rules. How about you get more points for longer TD's? Fantasy is rotting your brain.

[LunaTick 29]

Commercial Breaks.

 

Football, Basketball and Baseball and Hockey all have TV breaks

As does Tennis.

 

Golf, Nascar, and Soccer are among those events that don't.

 

With the size of todays screens, and the advent of 360 coverage. I don't understand why it needs to continue.

Especially in sports like Basketball and Hockey, which like Soccer, do not involve major personel changes during changes of possession.

 

Actually I think NBA would be more entertaining if they made player substitutions on the fly part of their game. Just think of how this would improve the Center play. Hard to find a good Off and Def center in basketball. Just saying.

[ERZER 0]

Why not do away with field goals, time outs, kickoffs other than the start of each half (if the other team scores, you start on your 20yd line, and finally do away with stopping the clock just because the pass is missed or a player goes out of bounds?

[LunaTick 29]

or why not just play Arena Football.

[wiffleball 4,690]

Why not do away with field goals, time outs, kickoffs other than the start of each half (if the other team scores, you start on your 20yd line, and finally do away with stopping the clock just because the pass is missed or a player goes out of bounds?

 

Other than the fact that nothing you listed has a 99.99% chance of scoring success EVERY SINGLE TIME?

 

Stupid. Like the author said, anything THAT automatic needs to be re-evaluated.

[RamslovaMartzhata 3]

Other than the fact that nothing you listed has a 99.99% chance of scoring success EVERY SINGLE TIME?

 

Stupid. Like the author said, anything THAT automatic needs to be re-evaluated.

 

 

 

How were those commercial breaks before the extra point try?

 

And I am sure someone forgot to mention to Akers how automatic those extra points are.

[edjr 5,773]

David Akers would also like the XP to be eliminated.