NFL tightens videoboard rules after viral Patriots allegation
Teams must show both kicking sides the same All-22 angle or static image during field-goal and extra-point attempts.
The NFL has changed its videoboard rules for field-goal and extra-point attempts, requiring teams to show both kicking sides the same All-22 angle or static image.
The league notified clubs of the revised requirement in a 7 September memo obtained by ESPN. Teams that breach the rule may face discipline.
The change follows a 1 September social media post by former analytics coach Ryan Paganetti, who claimed the New England Patriots had used a reverse All-22 view when opposing kickers attempted kicks at Gillette Stadium.
Paganetti said the display created a second set of offset goalposts and an optical illusion. He said he reviewed more than a decade of Patriots broadcasts and 52 kicks, and that the reverse view was not shown when the Patriots were kicking.
The post received nearly 17 million views, according to ESPN. The NFL said the Patriots had been operating within the rules at the time, while other teams with videoboards behind the uprights were also experimenting with practices permitted under the previous requirements.
The league had already required videoboards and ribbon boards to show either a static image or an All-22 view, without flashing images, blinking effects or moving text and images. The revised rule is intended to ensure competitive equity during kicks.
