A move proposed by New England Patriots coach Bill Bellichick and other football insiders may soon be coming to an NFL game near you as a preseason experiment is set to decide whether or not the extra point kick attempt should be moved to the 20-yard line for the season.
Considered a chip shot formality for most teams in most scenarios, the current kicking setup rarely gets intriguing until a team gets hit with a couple penalties before the kick can be executed properly. Now a penalty or two could put a team out of range for that point should the rule be adopted.
The test will take place over the course of the first two NFL preseason games for all teams. Two-point conversions will still be attempted from the 2-yard line.
Additionally impacting the kicking game is a rule change that involves extending the uprights five feet. No more close calls on kicks that soar just above the post.
Five feet may not seem significant until you really look back at how many game-deciding kicks might have been deemed "no good" if the posts were five feet taller over the past 10 seasons.
A rule inspired by a clear fumble recovery by the defense that officials incorrectly gave back to the offense is also now the new law of the land.
The so-called "Navorro Bowman Rule" seeks to avoid repetition of a situation in the NFC Championship game where Bowman rightfully recovered a fumble against the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to win last season's Super Bowl.
The play was considered un-reviewable then, but now it's on the table. The recovery of a loose ball on the field will now be a play that can always be challenged.
Another review overhaul involves allowing officials on the field to consult with members of the NFL officiating department at a command center in New York while trying to make the correct call on a review.
Whether or not these "under-the-hood" decisions will now take much less time to make is something fans will have to watch for. It's easy to imagine a "war room" where the call is really already made by seven replay technicians by the time the ref gets to the review machine.
There are chop blocks, and then there are chop blocks in disguise. Now a hit to the side of the legs is just as illegal as a hit to the back of the legs. This one may ultimately save a ton of players from enduring bad injuries, but it also has the greatest potential to slow games down and cause a lot of headaches for linemen and defenders.
It may end up being a seamless change in a perfect world, but these NFL players are used to playing a different way, and now they have to hesitate before every hit to make sure they don't hit the side of a player's legs. I see a lot of yellow flags in the future for next season if referees go crazy on enforcing this right away.
For those who always thought it was odd for NFL rules to mandate a clock stoppage after a sack, you can now say, "I told you so." The clock now keeps running after a sack. Now the QB has to get up and scramble to get back to the line of scrimmage and spike it or run a play if he makes a crucial mistake at the end of a game or half.
Another tweak of the yellow flag system will enforce defensive fouls differently. If the foul occurs behind the line of scrimmage, the penalty will be marched off from the previous spot rather than from the end of the run or the spot of the actual foul.
AND...speaking of fouls...dunking the ball over the goal post as a celebration is now a flaggable offense. The NFL is saying, "This is not basketball, fellas!" There has to be a better way to throw a little end zone party after a score.
Some other potential shifts in the traditional NFL framework could follow these potential game-changers. A decision is expected in May on whether or not to eliminate overtime in preseason games.
The league also tabled a vote on changing the number of practice squad members and Thursday night game roster allowances. The NFL may additionally take action at a future date on the suggestion of adding cameras to all goal lines, sidelines and end lines to make for better reviews.
