NFL implements stricter rules for images displayed on stadium video boards during field goals and extra points after Patriots’ ploy is uncovered

Yahoo Sports | American Football | 09/20/2026

By Ian Casselberry, Contributing writer

NFL teams are now restricted on what can be shown on stadium video boards during field-goal and extra-point attempts, per a directive from the league issued prior to the beginning of the 2026-27 season.

Teams must display a static image or a standard wide-angle, All-22 view on the jumbo-sized screens behind the end zone as kicks are taking place, the NFL mandated in a memo sent to each organization, according to ESPN.

NFL rules have always mandated that moving, flashing, blinking images and texts could not be shown on video boards during field-goal and extra-point tries. To prevent undue distractions or unfair advantages to home teams, only static images could be displayed on video boards.

However, those rules have been modified to more closely restrict even images that aren’t moving on the screen, ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Adam Schefter reported.

Much has been made of the Patriots’ mysterious “Pink Stripes.” How about yellow ones?

I went through more than a decade of TV broadcasts and uncovered a diabolically clever piece of Patriots gamesmanship.

When opposing kickers lined up at Gillette Stadium, the video board… pic.twitter.com/Y5nf0F5vm6

— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) September 2, 2026

Ryan Paganetti — who worked for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders — posted several screen shots from 10 years’ worth of Patriots game broadcasts that showed an All-22 view of the field incorporating the goalposts behind the end zone. The image was offset from the actual uprights in the stadium, creating potential visual confusion as to where the goalposts were located.

The former coach added in his post that the wide-field view including goalposts was never shown on the video board when Patriots kickers were attempting field goals or extra points in 52 examples he reviewed.

Under the previous guidelines regarding video-board images, the Patriots did not break any rules. The image shown was static. No moving image or text was on the screen. Other teams experimented with what could be displayed on the board as well, according to the NFL.

But now, under the stricter regulations, NFL teams are only allowed to show a standardized All-22 angle (one that presumably doesn’t include goalposts) or other static image. And the same image has to be displayed for both teams attempting field goals and extra points in order to prevent any sort of potential competitive advantage.

The NFL warned in its memo that any teams violating the stricter rule would face discipline from the league.