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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW UPDATED: Trump, Sanders victorious in New Hampshire primaries ... Man jailed after allegedly groping jogger on Bear Creek Greenway ... Oregon man who killed officer had long criminal record ... UPDATED: Trump, Sanders victorious in New Hampshire primaries ... Man jailed after allegedly groping jogger on Bear Creek Greenway ... Oregon man who killed officer had long criminal record ... FOOTBALL NFL to change extra-point kicks to longer distance Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted May. 20, 2015 at 12:01 AM By The Associated Press Posted May. 20, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News SAN FRANCISCO — The NFL is moving back extra-point kicks and allowing defenses to score on conversion turnovers. The owners on Tuesday approved the competition committee's proposal to snap the ball from the 15-yard line on PATs to make them more challenging. In recent seasons, kickers made more than 99 percent of the kicks with the ball snapped from the 2. "There was strong sentiment coming out of our meetings in March that something had to be done with our extra point," said Texans general manager Rick Smith, a member of the competition committee that proposed this specific rule change. "From a kicking perspective the try was over 99 percent (successful), so we tried to add skill to the play. "It was also a ceremonial play." The accepted proposal places the 2-point conversion at the 2, and allows the defense to return a turnover to the other end zone for the two points, similar to the college rule. The defense can also score two points by returning a botched kick. The change was approved only for 2015, then will be reviewed. But Smith predicts it will become permanent. "This isn't an experiment," Smith added. "This is a rule change. We expect this to be a part of the game." The vote was 30-2. Washington and Oakland voted no. New England and Philadelphia also made suggestions on changing the extra point, but the owners went with the powerful committee's recommendation. Officiating chief Dean Blandino said the percentage of kicks made from the 33- or 34-yard line has been around 93 percent. And Troy Vincent, in charge of NFL football operations, noted that placekickers can handle such an alteration. "The kicker's a skill position now," Vincent said. "We're not trying to take the foot out of the game." The short-lived XFXL, a developmental league, used the 15-yard line as the line of scrimmage on extra point placements. A major part of the change is the hope more teams will go for two points. In contrast to the traditional extra point kick from short distance, that is an exciting and usually a critical play. Some teams could look into 2-point specialists; there's conjecture that Eagles coach Chip Kelly brought in Tim Tebow to potentially fill such a role. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted May. 20, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501