Overtime Rules

[mountainpantherfan]

There has been some discussion among the NFL top brass on changing the overtime rules. Whats your take?

For me, I think they should keep the sudden death format but eliminate the use of field goals. To win, a team must score a touch down.

[Proudiddy]

I actually like the idea I heard from Peter King I believe it was... He said they ought to adapt the college style system, but with one huge tweak... Give each team one possession, so fans feel like their team at least had a fair shot. He said it should be kicked off and everything the same way as if you were just starting the game, so each team gets a chance.

He said this would be great for the game because the current format is unfair. He mentioned that so much of the game weighs on the coin flip at the end of regulation and was like "why else do the fans of the team that loses the coin flip boo and get upset when the other team wins it... because it gave them an advantage in trying to win the game."

If each team has a possession, no one can say they didn't get a fair chance. I'd love to see them adapt this system.

[CatfanMO]

Not sure what twicking is, but Im going with it.

[mountainpantherfan]

I actually like the idea I heard from Peter King I believe it was... He said they ought to adapt the college style system, but with one huge tweak... Give each team one possession, so fans feel like their team at least had a fair shot. He said it should be kicked off and everything the same way as if you were just starting the game, so each team gets a chance.

He said this would be great for the game because the current format is unfair. He mentioned that so much of the game weighs on the coin flip at the end of regulation and was like "why else do the fans of the team that loses the coin flip boo and get upset when the other team wins it... because it gave them an advantage in trying to win the game."

If each team has a possession, no one can say they didn't get a fair chance. I'd love to see them adapt this system.

My biggest problem with the "coin flip" arguement is that I would bet that the percentage of teams that win a game in regulation after winning the coin flip at the begining of a game is about the same as the winning percentage of teams that win the game in overtime after winning the overtime coin flip.

Over the entire history of the NFL 58% of teams win the game after winning the coin flip in overtime. Thats not that big of a percentage. And that also doesn't take into account that some of those wins both teams did get a chance on offense.

To be honest I can not think of a overtime game this season where a team won the coin flip, drove the ball within FG range and won. Granted I don't watch every game but I honestly can't ever remember watching an NFL game that went into overtime and this happened. I'm sure it has but I just don't remember it.

[Ncstatefan]

Not sure what twicking is, but Im going with it.

Agreed

[Darth Biscuit]

Give each team one possession, so fans feel like their team at least had a fair shot. He said it should be kicked off and everything the same way as if you were just starting the game, so each team gets a chance.

That makes a lot of sense... but what happens if the offense has a turnover? Do they then have to kickoff or does the other team start from that point?

[Ccat]

My biggest problem with the "coin flip" arguement is that I would bet that the percentage of teams that win a game in regulation after winning the coin flip at the begining of a game is about the same as the winning percentage of teams that win the game in overtime after winning the overtime coin flip.

Over the entire history of the NFL 58% of teams win the game after winning the coin flip in overtime. Thats not that big of a percentage. And that also doesn't take into account that some of those wins both teams did get a chance on offense.

To be honest I can not think of a overtime game this season where a team won the coin flip, drove the ball within FG range and won. Granted I don't watch every game but I honestly can't ever remember watching an NFL game that went into overtime and this happened. I'm sure it has but I just don't remember it.

This. People overestimate the importance of the coin flip. I hear people make the argument all the time that the coin flip decides overtime. Well, all you need to prove that theory wrong is the statistic that mountainpantherfan pointed out. It really ends up being pretty equal.

I don't like the college system much just because teams could end up having so many overtimes and scores that the statistics get boosted. Then you are gonna have the QB's that threw for 10 TD's in one game which is just ridiculous.

However, I wouldn't be against tweaking the current system a little bit if people felt it was needed, so I voted for that option.

[Ccat]

Actually I just read something that I hadn't heard before. It's from WikiAnswers so I don't know if it's actually true but it sounds reasonable. Heres the link:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_percent_of_teams_that_win_the_coin_toss_win_in_overtime_in_the_NFL

It basically says that since the rule change to kick off from the 30 yard line the team that wins the coin toss wins over 60% of the time. That is a little unfair, so still I would be in favor of tweaking the current rules a little bit to make it a little more fair, but I would still be angry if we switched to college overtime rules.

[Cyclonus]

Keep it the same. Defense is still part of the game in overtime. If you don't want the other team to score...... D UP!

[holderoftruth]

A couple years ago I was behind a switch to the college system but now I like the current system.

Football is a team sport, if you lose the coin flip then you have to rely on the on your defense to get the ball back. If you defense folds on the first drive then you deserve to lose.

[PowerlessDan]

I wish the game could just be extended. IDK what the time would be. Maybe half a quarter. The team that leads at the end of the extension wins or else it ends in a tie. In the playoffs you would have to keep extending until you got a winner.

[Jangler]

I say the head coaches have to fight for the win.

[TerriblePizza]

I like the system, but I don't think we should able to end in a tie. It should stay in sudden death for as many overtimes as is necessary.

[Darth Biscuit]

I say the head coaches have to fight for the win.

Or even better have the cheerleaders have a naked mud wrestling tournament to decide the winner.