It used to be a "gimme." You’d see a touchdown, head to the kitchen for a beer, and just assume the score had ticked up by seven points. But then 2015 happened. The NFL got bored of the 99% success rate and decided to move the line back, turning a chip shot into a genuine test of nerves. If you're wondering how long is an extra point in nfl stadiums today, the short answer is 33 yards. But that number doesn't tell the whole story.
The Math Behind the 33-Yard Kick
Most casual fans see the ball placed at the 15-yard line and get confused. They think, "Wait, shouldn't it be a 15-yard kick?" Nope.
In football, the goalposts are at the back of the end zone. That’s 10 yards of real estate right there. Then, you have to account for where the holder actually spots the ball. Typically, the snap goes back seven yards. So, if you do the math—15 yards to the goal line, 10 yards of end zone, and 7 yards for the snap—you land right at 33 yards. It's a distance that sounds easy until you're a kicker standing in a swirling wind at Lambeau Field in December.
Why the Distance Changed Forever
Before 2015, the ball was snapped from the 2-yard line. This made for a 19-yard or 20-yard attempt. It was basically a layup. In 2014, NFL kickers missed only eight extra points the entire season. Think about that. Eight misses across hundreds of games. It was a waste of time. The league wanted drama.
They got it.
When they pushed the line back to the 15, the "Point After Touchdown" (PAT) became a 33-yard field goal. Suddenly, the success rate dropped from nearly perfect to somewhere in the low 90s. It sounds like a small dip, but in a league where games are decided by a single point, that 3% to 5% difference is massive. It changes how coaches think. It changes how teams recruit kickers. Honestly, it changed the rhythm of the game.
The Strategy of the Two-Point Conversion
Because the extra point is now longer and "harder," the two-point conversion is more tempting than ever. If a team goes for two, they still line up at the 2-yard line.
Coaches like John Harbaugh or Dan Campbell are famous for looking at the analytics and deciding that a 2-yard run is sometimes more reliable than a 33-yard kick in the rain. We see this play out every Sunday. A team scores, they’re down by eight, and the math tells them to go for two. If the extra point were still a 20-yarder, they might just take the "easy" point. But since how long is an extra point in nfl rules changed, the gamble is much more appealing.
Weather and Stadium Factors
A 33-yard kick in a dome like SoFi Stadium is a different beast than a 33-yarder in Buffalo.
Wind is the enemy. When the ball was at the 2-yard line, the wind didn't have much time to push the ball off course. It was through the uprights before the breeze could catch it. Now? That ball hangs in the air a lot longer. It has more time to drift. If you're a kicker like Justin Tucker, you're constantly checking the flags on top of the uprights.
Even the surface matters. Natural grass can get torn up by the fourth quarter. If the holder can't get a clean spot at that 15-yard mark, the kick is doomed. You'll see kickers frantically clearing out clumps of dirt or snow before the snap because every inch of that 33-yard trajectory counts.
The Mental Toll on Kickers
Kicking is 90% mental. Maybe more.
When the kick was 20 yards, nobody celebrated a make. They only noticed when you missed. Now that the distance has increased, the pressure has ballooned. If a kicker misses a 33-yard PAT today, the fans don't just sigh—they boo. They call for him to be cut. It has made the position one of the most volatile in professional sports. Teams are cycling through kickers faster than ever because the "easy" part of the job isn't easy anymore.
Real-World Impact: The Numbers Don't Lie
Look at the stats from the last few seasons. We’ve seen games where multiple extra points were missed in a single afternoon. In 2022, we even saw a record-breaking night where a kicker missed four in a single playoff game. That would have been unthinkable in the 1990s.
The increased distance has also led to more blocked kicks. Because the ball has to be kicked at a lower trajectory to cover 33 yards compared to a 20-yard pop-up, defensive linemen have a better chance of getting a hand on it. They’re leaping, they’re shoving, and they’re actually putting effort into a play that they used to treat as a breather.
Misconceptions About the Goalposts
Some people think the uprights are narrower for extra points. They aren't. They’re still 18 feet, 6 inches wide. The only thing that changed was the distance from the goal line.
There was a brief experimental period in a Pro Bowl where they narrowed the sticks to 14 feet, but the NFL decided that moving the line back to the 15 was enough of a challenge. The 33-yard distance seems to be the "sweet spot" for the league—it’s far enough to be missable, but close enough that it doesn't fundamentally break the scoring system of the sport.
How to Track This During a Game
Next time you're watching a broadcast, look at the line of scrimmage for the PAT.
- Find the 15-yard line markers.
- Watch the holder kneel at the 22-yard or 23-yard line.
- Add the 10 yards for the end zone.
It’s a 33-yarder, every single time. Unless there’s a penalty. If the defense jumps offsides, the ball moves half the distance to the goal, making it a 28-yarder. If the offense gets flagged for a false start, they’re backed up to the 20, making it a 38-yard attempt.
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What This Means for Your Fantasy Team
If you play fantasy football, this rule change was a headache. Kickers used to be a safe "set it and forget it" position. Now, a kicker on a high-scoring team might actually hurt you if he’s prone to missing those 33-yarders. You have to look at their "extra points made" percentage just as much as their long-distance field goal accuracy.
It’s all part of the modern NFL's move toward unpredictability. They want you leaning in, holding your breath, even on the "boring" plays. And honestly? It worked. The extra point is actually exciting now, mostly because of those 13 extra yards.
Moving Forward
To really understand the impact of the 33-yard PAT, pay attention to "the hook" on the ball during the next game you watch. Notice how many kicks start toward the center and drift toward the uprights. That drift is exactly what the NFL hoped for when they moved the line back.
Actionable Insight for Fans:
Keep a close eye on the weather reports for outdoor games. If the wind is gusting over 15 mph, the "automatic" extra point becomes a 50/50 proposition. If you’re betting or playing fantasy, always favor kickers playing in domes or high-altitude stadiums like Denver, where the thin air helps that 33-yard flight path stay true. Check the official NFL Rulebook (Rule 11, Section 3) if you ever need to settle a bar bet about the specific yardage of penalties during a try—it gets surprisingly complicated when flags start flying.