Extra Point, Chop Block And Replay On NFL Owners' Agenda

BARRY WILNER, AP Pro Football Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL's powerful competition committee is recommending making permanent extra-point kicks from the 15-yard line, eliminating all chop blocks and ejecting a player for twice receiving certain unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a game.

When NFL owners meet next week in Florida, they also will consider such proposals as moving the line of scrimmage up 5 yards to the 25 on kickoff touchbacks, allowing coaches and players to use video rather than just photos on sideline tablets, and expanding the penalties on horse-collar tackles to cover the nameplate on the uniform.

Among the rule proposals that teams will present Monday through Wednesday are several involving video review: allowing three coaches' challenges instead of two even when one challenge fails, expanding what can be challenged to include everything but turnovers and scores, and eliminating overtime in preseason games.

What won't be altered is what constitutes a catch, a subject that often infuriates players and fans, but which is not part of any proposals this year.

Instead, according to Troy Vincent, the league's football operations chief, the emphasis will be on education and enforcement of the three current catch rule considerations: gaining possession, getting two feet down inbounds and player safety.

After Commissioner Roger Goodell suggested during Super Bowl week that player ejections for two egregious fouls would be considered, the committee is suggesting that specific unsportsmanlike conduct penalties could lead to expulsions. Those are:

— Throwing a punch or a forearm, or kicking at an opponent, even though no contact is made.

— Using abusive, threatening or insulting language, or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials or representatives of the league.

— Using baiting or taunting acts or words that engender ill will between teams.

Officials don't need to judge the fouls as flagrant for an automatic disqualification. And it won't necessarily take two fouls for a player to be tossed.

"We do believe officials should be empowered and should not feel ejection is not an appropriate remedy ... when there is a flagrant foul," said committee co-chairman Rich McKay, president of the Atlanta Falcons.

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