National Football League

NFL VP of Officiating Blandino expounds on PAT rule change

Published Jul. 17, 2015 11:51 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Starting the 2015 season, the NFL will execute rule changes that force teams to kick from the 15-yard line for extra points while having the option to go for a two-point conversion from the 2-yard line. Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino explained Friday at the league's annual officiating clinic the reasoning behind the rule alteration.

"I think the theory behind the change is that the play became a virtual certainty. We were 99.5, 99.6 percent accurate," said Blandino. "And the committee and a lot of people around the league wanted to make that more challenging. And so that's why we moved it back to the 15 for the snap for the kick."

According to Blandino, field goal kicks 32-yard field goal tries, which is the identical distance of the new point after attempts, are historically 94 percent accurate.

If kicking a 32-yard extra point wasn't riveting enough, the league also added another element to make defenses more participatory in these often formal plays.

"We added an element that should make it a more exciting play, and that is the defense can now return a blocked kick or on a two-point try they can return an interception or a fumble," said Blandino. So, we think that's going to make it a more exciting play when that happens.

Pre-snap penalties on point after attempts will also play an even more important factor in what team's decide after touchdowns.

"They can change their minds. So, after a penalty, the offensive team can change their mind and go for two or go for one. And, so, if they're lined up at the two-yard line for a two-point try and there's an offensive penalty that's going to take them back to the seven or the 12, they can have that penalty enforced from the 15 and then kick it.

"And then visa versa. If they're kicking with the snap from the 15 and there's a defensive penalty, they can change their mind and go for two from the one-yard line, half the distance. So, you do have that option."

Blandino says the league ruminated on the idea of changing the extra point rules for years; therefore, the decision to change the rule was anything but a hasty reaction.

"I think it's the process that we go through that people need to understand is we don't change rules to be reactive. We think about it, unintended consequences. And I think time was right and we went through all the unintended consequences and the league felt that we'd gone through enough experiments to think we needed to make the change."

MORE FROM FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST: 

- Predicting awards and winners of the 2015 MLB season

- Ranking NFL quarterback salaries

- 21 Fun Facts about the NCAA tournament

- Highest paid player of each NBA team

- College football's highest paid coaches in 2014

- Highest paid player on every MLB roster

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League