The NFL recently approved rule changes to its PAT (Points After Touchdown) conversions starting this year, after the league's team owners voted 30-2 for the proposed modification during their assembly in San Francisco, reports ESPN's Eric D. Williams.

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Extra points will now be snapped from the 15-yard line (from the 2-yard line), while defenses will now be allowed to score from a fumble during two-point conversions. The two-point conversion will still be snapped at the 2-yard line.

Rick Smith, general manager of the Houston Texans, disclosed that the adjustment was made because of the "high rate of success of extra points."

It was received with mixed reactions from players and coaches all around the league. Even though the rule change is said to be temporary, a one-year test period according to CBS Sports' Sean Wagner-McGough, the NFL's competition committee plans to make it a standard part of the game eventually.

Smith added that the committee wants to encourage more two-point conversions to make the games more exciting. Apparently, since the field goal is almost an automatic score (more than 99% success rate since 2010), it has allegedly become a boring part of the sport.

Jamal Anderson, a former running back of the Atlanta Falcons, said that the timing was quite right for the rule change as extra points had become the opportunity to go into a bathroom break.

Meanwhile, Connor Barth, placekicker for the Denver Broncos, had a different perspective about it. He told the Denver Post that "if they want to make it more exciting, narrowing the uprights would make it a lot more challenging than moving the extra point."

But then Barth also saw something to look forward to with the change. He said that the value of kickers will be raised as teams will now look for more skilled and accurate ones.

TagsNFL, NFL 2015, NFL PAT, NFL Rule Change, NFL news