Report: NFL owners voting on rule banning players from leaping during FG, XP attempts
The NFL is expected to pass a rule prohibiting players from leaping during field goal and extra point attempts, reports ESPN.com's Adam Schefter.
The Philadelphia Eagles first proposed the rule change, and it gained support from the NFL Players Association.
Leaping is called when any defender runs forward and leaps, attempting to block a field goal or extra point, and lands on any player from the opposing team. The foul is penalized 15 yards and the kicking team is awarded an automatic first down.
The penalty was only called three times during the 2016 season.
"The jumping over on the field goal, I think, is just leading to a really dangerous play for everybody,” Eric Winston, the NFLPA’s president and Cincinnati Bengals tackle said earlier this month. “If you jump over the center, the jumper is in a really bad spot. He can land on his head. I think the guys that are getting jumped over are going to end up getting hurt, with those guys landing on them. So I’ll be very interested to see what they’ll do there. I think something probably needs to be done.”
Other potential rule changes include cutting the regular-season overtime from 15 minutes to 10 and expansion of coaches' challenges and what can be reviewed by officials.
- Scooby Axson
