NFL to experiment in preseason with moving extra points back

The NFL will experiment during the upcoming preseason with moving back extra-point kicks from the 2-yard line to the 20 as a way to make the kick more challenging. All but five extra-point tries were successful last year, and the league wants to see if moving the kick back will make it less of an automatic scoring play.

A proposal to permanently move extra-point kicks back to the 25, proposed by the Patriots, was tabled by owners at their annual spring meetings on Wednesday. Instead, the owners want to see how the preseason setup works this year before deciding whether to move the kick back. The two-point conversion attempt will remain at the 2-yard line.

"I personally don't see the necessity of making that a more competitive play," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said in favor of keeping the ball at the 2. "There are other thoughts involved too. It's November, it's December, it's MetLife Stadium, it's zero degrees, it's snowing, and you're going to line up for an extra point to win the division and it's a 43-yard field goal? That's an interesting concept."

Dunk ban explained

The league approved a measure to extend the uprights five feet to better help officials determine if a field goal or extra-point try is good when the ball sails over either of the uprights. That change went hand-in-hand with the announcement on Tuesday that the league would no longer allow players to dunk the ball over the crossbar as a touchdown celebration. Raising the uprights would make the goal post even heavier and could lead to further instances of the crossbar being bent . . . Competition committee co-chairman Jeff Fisher, the Rams' coach, said that coaches and players will be reminded about more vigorous enforcement of taunting penalties. There were 34 taunting penalties called last year, compared to just nine in 2012. "We're going to effect change immediately," Fisher said. "We've got to change our conduct on the field and bring the element of respect back to its highest level." . . . Other rule changes adopted on Wednesday include allowing for the video review of a loose ball in the field of play and keeping the game clock running after sacks . . . The owners tabled votes on proposals to move kickoffs from the 35 to the 40; allow personal fouls to be subject to a coach's challenge; and the placement of cameras at the goal lines and the end lines of all fields . . . No vote was taken on expanding the playoffs to 14 teams from 12. There was discussion about the issue, but the league will talk to the NFL Players Association before proceeding with a formal vote. Commissioner Roger Goodell said playoff expansion is possible for 2014 but will more likely be addressed in future seasons.