How Long Is the Extra Point in NFL Football?

The answer to the question “How long is the extra point in NFL football?” may surprise you. While the length of the extra point has varied throughout the history of the NFL, it is currently set at 15 yards.

The History of the Extra Point

The extra point is one of the most basic elements of football, yet its origins are somewhat of a mystery. The extra point was first introduced in the NFL in 1933, but it was not until 1958 that it became a permanent part of the game. The extra point has undergone a few changes over the years, but it remains an important part of the game today.

How the extra point was created

In football, the extra point is a play that is executed after a touchdown is scored. Its main purpose is to give the scoring team an opportunity to convert the touchdown into more points, by kicking the ball through the goal posts. This play is usually worth one point, but in some cases, it can be worth two or three points.

The extra point was created in 1912 by then-president of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Walter Camp. The idea behind it was to add more excitement to the game and make it more competitive. The original extra point was worth two points, but this was later reduced to one point in 1958.

The extra point has undergone several changes over the years, most notably in 2015 when the NFL moved the kick back from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line. This change was made in an effort to make the extra point more challenging and improve player safety.

How the extra point has changed over time

In the early days of football, the extra point was simply a way to add one more point to the score. It was called a “free kick” because there was no defense allowed on the kicking team. The ball was typically placed on a tee, and the kicker would simply kick it through the uprights.

The extra point became more challenging in 1912, when the rules were changed so that the ball could be placed anywhere on the field for the kick. This made it difficult for kickers to make a successful kick, and as a result, many games were decided by which team could make more extra points.

In 2015, the extra point was once again changed, this time to make it more difficult. The ball was moved back to the 15-yard line, making it a 33-yard kick. This has made it challenging for even the best NFL Kickers, and as a result, we have seen more missed extra points in recent years.

The Current Rule

In 2015, the NFL made a rule change regarding the extra point. Before 2015, the kick was taken from the two yard line, making it a 20 yard kick. In 2015, they moved the kick back 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 make it more exciting for the fans.

The current rule for the extra point

The current rule for the extra point is that the kick must be taken from the 15-yard line. However, if the team chooses to attempt a two-point conversion instead, they can run or pass the ball from anywhere on the field.

Why the current rule was put in place

In 2015, the NFL lengthened the extra point distance from 20 yards to 33, in an effort to make the play more challenging.
The idea was that with a longer kick, teams would have to think twice about going for the one-point conversion, and instead go for a two-point play.
The rule change also had the side effect of making the game more interesting to fans, as there was now a somewhat higher degree of uncertainty as to whether or not the extra point would be good.

The rule change didn’t exactly have the desired effect, however, as teams still went for the extra point nearly 100% of the time. In fact, out of 1,267 extra point attempts in 2015, only 11 were missed.

So far in 2016, there have been even fewer misses, with aperfect 1,265 out of 1,265 extra points attempted through week 12 of the season.

With so few misses, it’s safe to say that the longer extra point has not had much of an impact on strategy or on fan interest. In fact, it seems that most fans would prefer to see the old 20-yard extra point back in place.

How Long is the Extra Point?

The NFL has recently changed the rule for how long the extra point is. It is now a bit longer than it used to be. The new rule is that the extra point is now 33 yards long. This may not seem like a big change, but it could have a big impact on the game.

The length of the extra point

In the National Football League (NFL), the extra point or conversion, also known as a point after touchdown (PAT), is the action taken by the scoring team following a touchdown.

The point of extra scrimmage and snap are centered on the 2-yard line (1-yard line in Canadian football), unless it occurs during a try for two points (conversion kick) after a touchdown, in which case it is snaps from the 3-yard line. The defending team attempts to block the kick while the kicking team tries to kick it through the uprights.

If successful, it is worth one point. Depending on the league, if the extra point is missed but no time has expired in the half, either team may attempt to advance the ball into their opponent’s end zone for two points; this play may be called either an “extra point” or a “two-point conversion”. If still unsuccessful after that, typically no points are awarded for that score.

In most leagues, only one additional play is allowed on either type of conversion attempt; if scores remain tied at the end of regulation time, kicking off from midfield is used to start each subsequent overtime period. While they are technically not plays from scrimmage because no advanced has been made from the original line of scrimmage, they are included here for completeness sake.

The length of the extra point kick varies among leagues and remains somewhat controversial. It was originally 20 yards (22 yd in Canadian football), but in 2015 rules were standardized so that all levels would use a 15-yd distance from which to attempt kicks; however college and high school football continued using a 20 yd distance until 2018 when both switched to 15 yards as well.

How the length of the extra point is determined

The length of the extra point has been debated for years, but it wasn’t until 2015 that the NFL made a change. The league moved the extra point back to the 15-yard line, making it a 33-yard kick, in an effort to make the play more challenging and exciting.

The NFL isn’t the only football league to tinker with the extra point. The XFL, which will make its return in 2020, has done away with the extra point altogether. Instead of kicking an extra point, teams will have the option of going for two points from the 2-yard line, or running a play from the 25-yard line.

The CFL has also experimented with the extra point. In 2016, the league moved theextra point back to the 20-yard line, making it a 32-yard kick. The CFL has also experimented with allowing teams to go for two points from eitherthe 1- or 2-yard line.

The NCAA has also tinkered withthe extra point, moving it back tothe 15-yard line in 2015.

Other Interesting Facts About the Extra Point

Not everyone knows this, but the NFL’s extra point was originally quite different than it is today. In its earliest form, the extra point was essentially a miniature version of a touchdown play. The score was still worth one point, but the point was awarded to the team that actually scored the touchdown, not the team that kicked the ball through the goal posts.

The extra point is not always worth one point

In 2015, the NFL made a change to the extra point, making it a bit more challenging. Now, the extra point is worth one point if it is kicked from the 15-yard line. However, if it is taken from the 2-yard line, it is worth two points.

The extra point is the shortest play in the NFL

Since the 1974 season, the extra point has been the shortest play in the NFL. It is also one of the simplest: the holder puts the ball down on the ground, and the kicker just has to kick it through the uprights. That’s it. No running or passing or anything else. Just one kick.