News broke Wednesday that the NFL Competition Committee, which is co-chaired by Falcons President Rich McKay, will present a proposal to owners for a change in overtime rules.
Seemingly every offseason some form of overtime change is discussed. As it stands, if a game is tied at the end of four quarters, there’s another coin toss and another quarter begins.
First team to score, wins.
Is it fair?
In reality, the team that takes the ball wins on a field goal on the first drive about 50 percent of the time. In 2008, according to McKay, 63 percent of sudden death games were won by teams that won the coin toss. Most of those victories (43 percent) came on the opening possession.
Something about teams not having equal chances at possession has always been a point of contention.
“In this case, we just try to make a statistical argument that the time has maybe come to innovate when it comes to overtime,” McKay told the AJC. “There is a reason statistically to do so.”
The Falcons lost the only overtime game they appeared in last season, 34-31 against the Giants.
The proposed changes would allow a team to win the game on the first possession of overtime with a touchdown. A field goal would be followed by the other team on offense with a chance to tie the game or win with a touchdown. If the second team kicks a field goal to tie the contest again, sudden-death rules apply.
It would definitely be a change in strategy.
Defensive players likely embrace the pressure of stopping an opponent on the first series of overtime. After all, they’re paid to play the game, too. However, under the proposed rule, offenses can’t go vanilla and play just for the field goal.
It would also allow a defense to take the field in a more game-like situation.
Fans have long clamored for a college-style overtime where each team is guaranteed at least one chance to score.
Does this proposal fit the bill? Does it need to change at all?
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19 Comments
1st team to score six points wins. Period.
I would also like it fi they would implement rules for reg season games too.
How about if the NFL just made overtime 2 minutes. I would like that idea better.
I personally have never liked the overtime rules simply because some teams can just get the field goal and call it a day. It would be fair for both teams to get a possession just like in college. That way there would be a more “realistic” outcome.
Suggestion to Rich McKay: Concerning the issue of possession in overtime play.
Tossing a coin has always been a primitive way of determining possession of the ball in overtime play in my opion. Suggestion: Whichever team has the most yardage at the end of regular play should receive the ball. This would sometimes create a little strategy by the coaches, in play calling, if the total yardage was close, towards the end of regular play and score tied. If this suggestion is adopted, I would gladly accept a couple of tickets to Super Bowl XXXXV. Thanks for your time and consideration of this matter.
i like the idea….teams are different, defensive and offensive. maybe the team with the most points at the end of ot or score 6 points.
If each team does not get a possession in OT, then at the very least, the luck of the coin flip should be eliminated by predetermining which team, home or visiting, has the choice of offense or defense in OT. With that outcome known, both teams can adjust their play calling in regulation according to what advantage, or lack thereof, they perceive an OT period to have.
If the NFL and players want to ensure that the OT period is short, then the rules could also be changed so that the team with the first possession loses if they don’t score.
extra quarters until there is no difference in score. and that should be regular season rules too. no ties at all.
lets say yo team score frist but dont get the 6 u gont wish the rule was the same
Falcons got screwed against the NYG. Rules need to change. I like the yardage idea, or even a 50 yard race to the ball from your endzone to centre . SOMETHING PLEASE
THIS RULE IS TO DAMN CONFUSING!!!!!!
I propose a midget toss.
everyone stop trying to make this overtime thing more than what it really needs to be. Each team get a possesion. If neither team has scored then go to the sudden death rule. simple as that
I think the idea of whichever team scores 6 points or more wins overtime is a good idea? What do you guys think about having the first team to score like 8 points? that way the overtime wouldn’t end abruptly if the winner of the coin toss scores a TD, 8 points would at least give the other team a second chance to fight back.
I’ve been wondering ever since the schedule came out last year, if McKay is on the competition committee how did he allow the Falcons to have to play four teams coming off bye weeks? First has a team ever had to do that before? If not theni guess I can understand how there was no existing rule to limit how many times a team can face other teams coming off a bye. But if either way why is that not being discussed?
I understand the NFL wants to maintain flexibility but I think limiting it to two games against teams off bye weeks would be sufficient. I read somewhere last year that the NFLs computer calculated over a million possible schedules for the season and with certain constraints it narrowed it down to about 3,000 which were then review narrowed down further and then voted on…
No reason to not just change the rule to allow each team to get the ball at least once.
This smells like a gimmick, like Arena Football to me.
Play the game as designed….
in OT. they should make it. if one team(blue) gets the ball first and then kicks a field goal. then the other team(red) matches it , it contines until next team scores. unless red team score a TD then red team wins cos 6 points are more than 3 . well obviously !
The system is fine the way it is. Don’t think overtime is fair? There’s an easy solution: Win the game in the 60 minutes provided and you won’t have to worry about coin tosses…
I didn’t even want to hear it. But now that I have, I like it.