Last week, the commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell, proposed an interesting idea–abolishing the extra point after a touchdown. (As an aside, check out Aaron Gordon’s excellent behavioral analysis of this proposal.) But if we’re going to reform the rules of the game, why not start with the lowly field goal? Specifically, why is the value of a field goal the same (3 points) independent of the length of the field goal attempt? Shouldn’t longer field goal attempts be worth more points than shorter one? In short, why not consider creating a four-point field goal line at the 50-yard line (similar to the three-point line in basketball) so that field goal attempts from beyond the 50-yard line would be worth four instead of just three points?
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I am of the opinion that it would detract from the glory of a touch down. If kicking a field goal is almost as many points as that of a touchdown then I am sure coaches will be less inclined to want to push for a touchdown. They may just opt for the path of least resistance in a field goal. This could make the game less exciting and the NFL is a business that banks on these moments of glory.