If at first you don't succeed… so the saying goes.
The Patriots are trying once again to convince the NFL to modify certain aspects of the rule book.
Last March at the league's Annual Meeting, New England submitted four proposals for rules changes. One (raising the height of the goal posts) was adopted, while another (moving the extra point line of scrimmage back 23 yards) was experimented with during the preseason, but shelved.
So, the Super Bowl champions are giving it another go. This year, New England is amending its point-after proposal, suggesting that the extra point line of scrimmage move from the 2- to the 15-yard line yard (making PATs 33-yard attempts). In addition, the Patriots still want to add fixed cameras to the end zone areas to help with instant replays, and allow coaches to challenge all non-scoring plays during games (scoring plays are automatically reviewed already). All three proposals have been officially submitted for consideration at next week's Annual Meeting, which will be in Phoenix.
The NFL, meanwhile, is looking to change the way the Patriots do a bit of business on the field. You'll recall how effective New England's use of ineligible-eligible receivers was in the playoffs this past season. Well, the league's Competition Committee has submitted a proposal that would make such substitutions illegal from now on. This is the body that has the most authority over which rules are changed, and New England has no representatives on it.
But the Patriots have very powerful voices who will exert their influence at the meetings next week. Owner Robert Kraft sits on five committees: the Broadcasting (which he chairs), Finance, Compensation, NFL Network, and a new one this year, the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities. President Jonathan Kraft, meanwhile, co-chairs the Digital Media Committee and sits on the Business Ventures Committee.
