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The NFL want to literally move the goalposts for kickers

The NFL plan to literally move the goalposts for kickers, if they get their way. Microchips look ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.09 18 Jul 2016


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The NFL want to literally move...

The NFL want to literally move the goalposts for kickers

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.09 18 Jul 2016


Share this article


The NFL plan to literally move the goalposts for kickers, if they get their way.

Microchips look set to be placed in footballs to give NFL officials an realistic gauge of how accurate the kickers are. League officials hope to make the goals smaller to make kicking field goals, or one-point conversions more difficult.

According to the Toronto Sun, 85% of kicks have been successful in the past three season. That's a number the NFL want to lessen as they believe kicking at goal has become too easy. 

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The goals could be moved as early as 2017, when the NFL will have had a season of data to make a decision. Dean Blandino is the NFL’s Senior Vice-President of Officiating, and is one of the men looking at the rule.

"We’ll see what the data tells us. The committee will discuss it and then make a recommendation for 2017 if they feel that we need to go that route. But I wouldn’t know at this point, without seeing how it goes this year." 

Despite the plan to narrow the posts, a missed field-goal can still cause plenty of drama. In last season's NFC Wildcard game between the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a relatively straightforward kick to win the game in the last minute.

He would have certainly wished the posts were a few feet wider. 


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