Numbers experts study NFL’s new extra-point rules Analytics will be in the spotlight during the 2015 NFL season more than ever because of a rule change involving the extra point. After a few years of trying to change the rule, the NFL and its owners voted 30-2 in May to move the extra-point try from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line. The rule change also says the defense can return a blocked extra point or failed 2-point try for two points. The NFL experimented with the longer kick for two weeks in last year’s preseason. Brian Burke, creator of Advanced Football Analytics, has worked with numerous teams over the years on the odds of certain in-game scenarios, such as 2-point and fourth-down conversions. According to Goldner, with the ball moved to the 15-yard line, the success rate drops six percentage points to 93.6 percent. “This obviously depends on your personnel and your opponent’s personnel, but running the ball by the goal line has a higher success rate than throwing the ball,” Goldner said. In reality though, as many coaches are highly risk averse, it probably will not have a dramatic immediate effect on coaching tendencies.