How Far Is the NFL Extra Point?

How far is the NFL extra point? The answer may surprise you.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) extra point is worth 1 point. It is usually attempted from the 2-yard line, but can be attempted from the 1-yard line if the defense commits a penalty on the previous play.

History of the NFL Extra Point

The National Football League (NFL) extra point is a play that adds one point to the score of a team following a touchdown. The point is scored by kicking the ball through the uprights of the opponent’s goalpost. It is also known as a “point after touchdown” (PAT).

The NFL first implemented the extra point in 1932. Prior to this, teams were only awarded six points for a touchdown, and they could choose to either kick an extra point or go for two points by running or passing the ball into the end zone again. In 1933, the league changed the rules so that teams were required to kick the extra point if they wanted to score seven points for a touchdown.

The extra point was originally worth one point, but it was increased to two points in 1958. In 1974, it was reduced back to one point. The current distance of the NFL extra point attempt is 33 yards (30 yards in Canadian football).

The Rule Change in 2015

In 2015, the NFL introduced a new rule for extra points. The ball was moved back from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line, making it a 33-yard kick. In 2016, the league moved the ball back again, this time to the 13-yard line, making it a 35-yard kick.

The Current Distance of the NFL Extra Point

The National Football League (NFL) adopted the extra point rule in 1932. The distance of the kick was originally set at the 15-yard line, which was increased to the 19-yard line in 1934. In 1944, the NFL moved the extra point back to the 15-yard line but gave the option to try for a two-point conversion from the 3-yard line. In 1958, the NFL once again increased the length of the extra point, this time to the 20-yard line.

In 1974, following wide receiver Lynn Swann’s reception of a pass that was thrown behind him in Super Bowl VIII, and running back Roger Craig’s one-handed catch in Super Bowl XVI, both of which resulted in two points being scored on plays that would have only yielded one point if run as an extra point play, proposals were made to move the goal posts back to increase difficulty and encourage more two-point conversion attempts. These proposals were rejected and no changes were made to how extra points are scored; however, since then teams have been successful on more than 97 percent of their extra point attempts.

In 2015, NFL owners passed a rule change that moved the line of scrimmage for an extra point attempt from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line, effectively making it a 33-yard field goal attempt. The new rule also gave defenses the option of scoring two points on a return from behind their own end zone if they take the ball out of it and score in their opponent’s end zone.

Why the NFL Decided to Move the Extra Point Back

In 2015, the NFL made a rule change that resulted in the extra point being moved back from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line, making it a 33-yard kick. This was done in an effort to make the extra point more challenging, and as a result, encourage teams to go for two points more often.

The decision to move the extra point back was not an easy one, and it was met with some backlash from fans and players alike. However, it seems to be working as intended, as there have been more missed extra points this season than ever before.

Time will tell if this rule change is here to stay or if it will eventually be reversed, but for now, kickers will have to adjust to the new distance and teams will have to decide whether they want to go for one point or two.

How the New Distance Has Affected NFL Games

In 2015, the NFL moved the line of scrimmage for extra point attempts back 13 yards, from the 2-yard line to the 15. The league did this in an effort to make the play more challenging and thus, more exciting.

The new rule has had a significant impact on NFL games. In the 2015 season, there were 97 missed extra point attempts, compared to just 61 in 2014. That’s a 36.1 percent increase in misses.

The Patriots were the team most affected by the new rule, as they missed four extra points in 2015 after not missing a single one the year before. The Eagles and Steelers also saw their missed extra point totals double from 2014 to 2015.

Interestingly, while there were more missed extra points in 2015, there were also more made field goals. In 2014, 1,267 field goals were made, compared to 1,322 in 2015. That’s an increase of 3.9 percent.

It’s worth noting that while kicking a field goal from further away is more difficult, it is still easier than converting an extra point. In 2015, NFL teams made 87 percent of their extra point attempts and 84 percent of their field goal attempts.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the NFL extra point is between 33 and 34 yards, depending on where it is being kicked from on the field.