INDIANAPOLIS -- An NFL spokesman said Saturday the league could change its overtime format for playoff games at a meeting next month. Under the new format, both teams would get the ball at least once unless the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown, Greg Aiello said. If the first team to get the ball makes a field goal and the other team ties the game, action would continue until a team scores again. Under the current rules, the first team to score wins. "There have been various concepts that have been discussed in recent years, but this one has never been proposed," Aiello said. The competition committee will discuss the new concept with teams and players at league meetings March 21-24 in Orlando, Fla., when it could come to a vote. At least two thirds of the teams would need to agree to the changes for new rules to be adopted. The competition committee met with the players' union and players on Thursday during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Discussion continued when the competition committee met with a general managers' advisory committee on Friday. The debate about the rules gained steam after the NFC championship game, when New Orleans beat Minnesota 31-28 in overtime and Brett Favre's Vikings never got the ball in the extra period. Under the proposed rule, Minnesota would have gotten another possession because the Vikings didn't allow a touchdown. Overtime was adopted for regular season games in 1974, a sudden-death format that allowed games to end in a tie if neither team scored in 15 minutes. Overtime for playoff games always has been sudden death. link
LOL, that figures. It's not that I'm opposed to the idea - anyone who knows my history here knows I think the NFL overtime system is just ridiculous. But just as it took Peyton Manning and his teammates/fans whining to change the "illegal contact" enforcement/emphasis, it takes Brett Favre and his teammates/fans whining to change the overtime rule. In general, I think this is a step in the right direction (though I wish it were for all games and not just postseason). It's just laughable that of course the discussion gains steam with the NFL when Brett Favre's team becomes the victim of it.
I hate Sudden Death but I understand why they want the games to end as quickly as possible. With commercials and instant replays a lot of these games are already 3 and a half hours and TV media contracts in relative markets don't like having to cut away from an exciting game, and players who are beaten down already to the point of having to soak in ice tubs for 2 days afterward don't like the thought of a prolonged OT. That being said, its just way too much of a gimmick to have games with so much important week-in, week-out come down to a coin toss. Its hard to come up with a situation in which everybody wins. Maybe give both teams the ball at midfield, no FG's allowed... 4 downs all the way, whoever gets closest to the paydirt wins. If a team scores, make them go for 2.
If you are going to put this rule into the playoffs I think it's only fair you put it into the regular season as well. Although the regular season games might not be seen as important they have huge implications as to who even makes the playoffs.....
I'm not a fan of the second team basically getting four downs to play with once the first team scores first. On the other hand, the coin flip seems to play a larger part in OT results since kickoffs got moved to the 30. Here are my favorite suggestions for handling the issue, mostly stolen from Football Outsiders: 1) The team that scored last in regulation always kicks off in overtime. Don't want to kick off? Don't kick the 20-yard field goal to tie the game with 5 seconds left. (The original version I heard of this had corollaries to make it slightly more "fair" -- (a) if neither team scores in the last 5:00 of regulation, the last team to punt kicks off, and (b) if the tying score (in the last 5:00) is a 2-point conversion, the tying team receives -- but I think that's a little too complex.) 2) Use the pie rule* -- the home team (or the winner (or maybe the loser?) of a coin flip) picks the yard line from which the OT kickoff will be, and the visiting team chooses whether to kick off or receive. 3) Use a Name That Tune style auction -- "I'll kick off from your 40." "I'll kick off from midfield." "I'll kick off from my 45." "Okay -- we'll receive." 4) Same as now, but move the kickoff to the 40. (Or maybe even the 45.) I also agree that this should be used in the regular season as well. *as in "I'll cut the pie, you choose which half you want."
I like the idea but i think NFL overtimes should still be sudden death with the first team to score a TD wins the game, no cheap field goals allowed. I don't like watching a game end in a 30 or 20-yard or less FG, we all know that kicker will make it. I want to see teams score in the endzone to win the game just like the 1958 NFL Championship (Colts vs Giants), it was known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played". And I think college football needs to change its overtime format.
The NFL OT rules are fine. What happens after a team defense that causes a 3 & out in OT always have great field position.
I like this, the first to score a TD wins, you have to force the team to go for more instead of a easy FG.
I kind of agree with what Eric Winston suggested on the radio. If its going to be sudden death, there should be a better way in determining who gets the ball first instead of a coin toss. (like whichever team has the most total yards should receive the ball first) Anything would be better than a coin toss.
They need to fix the OT rule and their plan to correct it is IMO a pretty good one. College OT is awful.
It would be interesting if they set up a kind of 'shoot out' format -- where you take your 5 best defenders and offensive players and they go one on one from the 20 yard line. Defender is set at the 10 yard line and the offensive player sets at the 20 -- whistle blows and the O-player tries to run past D-player for the TD.
I love football so I wouldn't mind a marathon game. No sudden death. You play a 15 minutes quarter, who ever leads at the end wins. Simple enough. If it goes to a second OT or more, then you have to go for 2 after each TD.
fixed your post. but i will also accept the argument that you don't like it b/c it's too different from the regular game. i still love it
They could always go the XFL route of determining who gets possession. Put the ball at midfield, have the kickoff teams on each side. Sound the gun, both teams make a mad rush for the ball. Whoever gets it, gets possession.
Since the home team always has an advantage, for parity purposes the road team should always receive the ball first. Keep sudden death. Its like saying the home team usually favored to win didnt take care of their business in regulation like they were supposed to. Now the road team gets their chance. If you cant stop them, you deserve to lose
LOL I like the idea where you keep it basically the way it is now except you have to score a TD, no field goals allowed.
I wish they would do something radical like have quarters of football where each team had chances to score before they went to a sudden death system. You know, a system where you have a chance to win the game in regulation.
