With the start of a new season in any sport, there are new regulations and rules that have changed from the previous season. There have been several new rules and also major changes that have taken place in the National Football League.

Gone are the days when the point-after-touchdown was virtually guaranteed by most professional kickers. Since the beginning of 2015, extra-points have increased from 20-yard kicks to 33-yard kicks. The increased difficulty of the kick is aimed to help elevate excitement between possessions.

“[I] definitely felt more accomplished kicking four extra points in that game than I did in other games,” said New England Patriot kicker, Stephen Gostkowski to the Boston Globe after a win over Pittsburgh.

The new rule does not sit well with everyone, however.

“It’s a rule that was changed to make players fail more, which I just don’t [get],” said Cincinnati Bengals kicker, Mike Nugent according to Fox Sports. “This is an offensive-driven league. Everyone wants to see points. Everyone wants to see 65-64, but to change a rule to make less points, it just confuses me, and I completely disagree with it.”

Another big change to the program was Demarco Murray’s decision to leave Dallas and make his way to rival Philadelphia. Murray was the leading rusher in 2014 and made the move to Philadelphia when he realized a desired contract was not in the cards. Many are interested to see if Murray’s stats improve or deteriorate in Chip Kelly’s high-octane offense.

Ndamukong Suh also made headlines regarding major changes in the program. Suh became the highest paid defensive player ever over the summer. The 6’4”, 307-lb defensive tackle inked a six-year, $114 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in March. Suh spent his first five NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions, where he gained the moniker as the NFL’s “dirtiest player” due to his rough playing style.

As always, the coaching situation across the NFL has shifted once again forcing new changes. The Atlanta Falcons hired former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their new head coach to replace Mike Smith. Quinn won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks after the 2013 season.

“This felt like the right fit from the beginning, and I want to thank [owner Arthur Blank] for his resolve as this was an extended and complicated process,” Quinn said in a statement after his hiring, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Another large change in the program would be the future success of the San Francisco 49ers, as it’s currently in doubt. The offseason departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh and a disappointing 8-8 record in 2014 has left the franchise in a bit of a mess.

Harbaugh’s leave for the University of Michigan prompted the 49ers to promote defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to the head job. It has since translated to a 1-1 start to the 2015 season that includes a 43-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The last major change to the NFL was the controversy that arose around the country when Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant’s catch in a January playoff game against the Green Bay Packers was, in fact, ruled not to be a catch at all. Because of this the NFL, once again, has tweaked the guidelines that define a reception.

In order to complete a catch, a receiver must clearly become a runner. He does that by gaining control of the ball, touching both feet down and then, after the second foot is down, having the ball long enough to clearly become a runner, which is defined as the ability to ward off or protect himself from impending contact.

All of these changes will impact the NFL over the course of the 2015 season in one way or another. To what degree these changes take affect remains to be seen.