NFL Must Change OT Rules Starting Now

[RRyder]

I think a lot of you overestimate the advantage of getting the second possession in overtime.

Your underestimating it. It's a huge advantage in college but apparently you dont think it'd be huge in the pros?

 

[adambr2]

How does the game flow better under the current OT rules?

But you see, Football is currently sudden death when a team scores a TD or after the first possession. Every sport you mentioned allows for multiple possessions or chances to score by each team, that possibility is far too often eliminated in the NFL, by the mere flip of a coin.

Well, it's about practicality too. A basketball possession takes a maximum of 24 seconds. It's not hard to tack on 5 minutes and play til you have a winner.

Football is one of the most brutal sports in the world. You're not going to be able to allow for equal alternating overtime possessions or extra 15 minute periods until you have a winner without more ties, longer games, more injuries and wear and tear.

 

[Ceodore]

How would does the game flow better under the current OT rules?

But you see, Football is currently sudden death when a team scores a TD or after the first possession. Every sport you mentioned allows for multiple possessions or chances to score by each team, that possibility is far too often eliminated in the NFL, by a coin flip.

I'm in no way saying the current overtime rule is optimal by any means. My argument is that the change you've proposed isn't really any more fair/different when it's still sudden death. In fact I would argue that it's less fair. If they're committed to having a game decided by sudden death, what's more fair than a coin toss?

The sudden death aspect is what skews the game.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Your underestimating it. It's a huge advantage in college but apparently you dont think it'd be huge in the pros?

Do you have any numbers to back up your statement that it´s a huge advantage in college football???

 

[adambr2]

Do you have any numbers to back up your statement that it´s a huge advantage in college football???

This is a few years old and doesn't cover the last few years of college games, but still covers a pretty good sample size over 13 years of college games from the 90s to 2008. I'll post if I find anything more recent.

http://blog.minitab.com/blog/the-statistics-game/analyzing-college-football-overtimes

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well, it's about practicality too. A basketball possession takes a maximum of 24 seconds. It's not hard to tack on 5 minutes and play til you have a winner.

Football is one of the most brutal sports in the world. You're not going to be able to allow for equal alternating overtime possessions or extra 15 minute periods until you have a winner without more ties, longer games, more injuries and wear and tear.

While I am not fully in favor of a 15 minute OT, I would support a 10 minute one over the current format. If the concern is an increase in player injuries due to more playing time, make quarters 13 minutes. Allow regular season games to end in a tie after 1 OT. I don't fully buy into the theory that playing another 10 minutes will have a detrimental effect on the health and well being of a player. How long do OT games last under the current system on average? The league set it up to allow them to last 15 minutes if need be, so some thought had to be put into that question.

 

[adambr2]

This is a few years old and doesn't cover the last few years of college games, but still covers a pretty good sample size over 13 years of college games from the 90s to 2008. I'll post if I find anything more recent.

http://blog.minitab.com/blog/the-statistics-game/analyzing-college-football-overtimes

Of all 300+ college OT games, the defending first team has won 55.19% of the time.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/4jtvc0/history_of_overtime_in_college_football/

 

[adambr2]

How about this twist: Keep the current rule, but punts are illegal in OT. No punting decisions to make for either team, so that's even, and coin toss decisions become much more difficult as the first defending team has a chance to win their team the game just with a stop.

 

[Pkrjones]

How about this twist: Keep the current rule, but punts are illegal in OT. No punting decisions to make for either team, so that's even, and coin toss decisions become much more difficult as the first defending team has a chance to win their team the game just with a stop.

Post #63: "If leveling the playing field is the ultimate goal then why not eliminate punting in overtime? Mandatory "going for it on 4th down"."

 

[mongoosev]

Well, it's about practicality too. A basketball possession takes a maximum of 24 seconds. It's not hard to tack on 5 minutes and play til you have a winner.

Football is one of the most brutal sports in the world. You're not going to be able to allow for equal alternating overtime possessions or extra 15 minute periods until you have a winner without more ties, longer games, more injuries and wear and tear.

adam brings up a good point. I'm sure the NFL did consider how long is too long for these guys to be out there damaging their bodies in order to win one game.

As there are good ideas that some brought up if you think logically what difference does it make if they extend the OT by adding more time for these players to keep playing to tie when they already did so in the 4th while risking more injuries to their players? I believe that is why this sudden death, as stupid as it is, was implemented.

 

[adambr2]

Post #63: "If leveling the playing field is the ultimate goal then why not eliminate punting in overtime? Mandatory "going for it on 4th down"."

Sorry I missed that! I went back and gave you your just due.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

How about this twist: Keep the current rule, but punts are illegal in OT. No punting decisions to make for either team, so that's even, and coin toss decisions become much more difficult as the first defending team has a chance to win their team the game just with a stop.

I wouldn't be in favor of changing the rules of the game or how the game is played. Play under the same rules that both teams played under for 4 quarters.......how you get there and how it ends, is the debate in my mind.

 

[adambr2]

I wouldn't be in favor of changing the rules of the game or how the game is played. Play under the same rules that both teams played under for 4 quarters.......how you get there and how it ends, is the debate in my mind.

Hmm. Two 4 minute 'halves', (similar to soccer format), each team kicks off at the beginning of one, two timeouts in each 'half', if it's tied after both halves, the game ends in a tie if it's regular season, if it's the playoffs, they continue with 2 minute 'halves' until there's a winner?

 

[Pkrjones]

PFT posted Monday AM this same topic... one of the commenters stated "OT is not about fairness, it's about winning".

Keeping players' safety in mind maybe the current format is the best solution? Extending games a full 10-15 minutes, especially after playing for 60 minutes, exposes players to more injuries. If a team has any fight left in them they should be able to stop the other team from driving 75-80 yds. for a TD, and if they can't it's a fairly quick end to the game. IMHO, leave it as is.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Hmm. Two 4 minute 'halves', (similar to soccer format), each team kicks off at the beginning of one, two timeouts in each 'half', if it's tied after both halves, the game ends in a tie if it's regular season, if it's the playoffs, they continue with 2 minute 'halves' until there's a winner?

I would take that over the current system. But I haven't thoroughly thought it through and probably by the time I do, 3 posters will have come on and ripped it apart LOL

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Old article and written before the NFL changed the rule on a first possession FG ending an OT, but I like the thought process and the points that the author makes.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/176805-nfl-overtime-solution-skip-the-flip

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Your underestimating it. It's a huge advantage in college but apparently you dont think it'd be huge in the pros?

I'm going to beat the point to death until it gets pounded into the heads of every poster in this thread. College rules are not the same as the NFL. They eliminate kickoffs, always start the ball on the opposition's 25 yardline, and also if the team that elects to play defense falls behind but ties it up on the ensuing possession, they then get the go-head possession on the next possession.

That, if you ask me is why the teams electing to play defense on the toss do so. They're not going to get that advantage here, if they score to tie it up, they're going to kick that ball back to the starting team.

College rules have no relevance here. NONE, NONE WHATSOEVER.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

I understand a coin toss to start the game, but any benefit of winning it is countered by the "flip side" of that to start the second half. Overtime isn't "starting the game over" to determine a winner, it's about finishing a tied game, figure out a way to keep the damn coin toss out of it, or if there has to be one, offset the advantage winning it gives a team.

BINGO

I think a lot of you overestimate the advantage of getting the second possession in overtime.

THIS

 

[adambr2]

I'm going to beat the point to death until it gets pounded into the heads of every poster in this thread. College rules are not the same as the NFL. They eliminate kickoffs, always start the ball on the opposition's 25 yardline, and also if the team that elects to play defense falls behind but ties it up on the ensuing possession, they then get the go-head possession on the next possession.

That, if you ask me is why the teams electing to play defense on the toss do so. They're not going to get that advantage here, if they score to tie it up, they're going to kick that ball back to the starting team.

College rules have no relevance here. NONE, NONE WHATSOEVER.

You keep stating this as a fact when it's not. It's your opinion. Yes, there are big differences, no one said the rules are the same. However one of the big similarities is the 2nd team knowing exactly what they need, which works to their advantage. So I certainly think that's a relevant part of the discussion.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Of all 300+ college OT games, the defending first team has won 55.19% of the time.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/4jtvc0/history_of_overtime_in_college_football/

Thanks for posting that numbers. I agree with PackerfaninCarolina though that the college rules are way different than in the NFL and therefore aren't really relevant in this discussion.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

You keep stating this as a fact when it's not. It's your opinion. Yes, there are big differences, no one said the rules are the same. However one of the big similarities is the 2nd team knowing exactly what they need, which works to their advantage. So I certainly think that's a relevant part of the discussion.

College teams are already in field goal range when getting the ball in overtime though making it a completely different game. While it might be a slight advantage getting the ball second in overtime it would be interesting to find out how NFL offenses did on the last drive of a game while being tied or trailing by eight or less points.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

You keep stating this as a fact when it's not. It's your opinion. Yes, there are big differences, no one said the rules are the same. However one of the big similarities is the 2nd team knowing exactly what they need, which works to their advantage. So I certainly think that's a relevant part of the discussion.

They also know that they will be receiving the ball at the opponents 25 yard line, that is a guarantee. I know what you are thinking with this, the team possessing the ball second, knows what they need to do to win. However, in the NFL there is no guarantee of this second possession or where it will even begin.

How many NFL teams have won the OT flip and have chosen to defend first? I know the Patriots did against the Jets in 2015 and it took the Jets 4 plays to win. The decision to kickoff was debated afterwards, whether Belichick wanted that or there was confusion during the coin toss on Slater's (Patriots Captain) part.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/p...in-toss-choose-to-kick-to-jets-promptly-lose/

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

They also know that they will be receiving the ball at the opponents 25 yard line, that is a guarantee. I know what you are thinking with this, the team possessing the ball second, knows what they need to do to win. However, in the NFL there is no guarantee of this second possession or where it will even begin.

How many NFL teams have won the OT flip and have chosen to defend first? I know the Patriots did against the Jets in 2015 and it took the Jets 4 plays to win. The decision to kickoff was debated afterwards, whether Belichick wanted that or there was confusion during the coin toss on Slater's (Patriots Captain) part.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/p...in-toss-choose-to-kick-to-jets-promptly-lose/

Plus as I said, they get the ensuing possession as well if they tie it up, giving their D a bit of a rest.

I feel there's still a risk in NFL on playing D first if you knew you'd get the ball kicked off to you because if you're going up against the legion of boom or the 2015 Denver defense, are you really going to take the risk that they might score first on their first possession and then you gotta try and tie it up going down that field?

Definitely gotta admit there's a big difference between only needing 25 yards to score vs needing 75 or more yards.

 

[Firethorn1001]

There is no guarantee of equal possessions for the first 60 minutes. Not sure why we suddenly care about it in overtime.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

There is no guarantee of equal possessions for the first 60 minutes. Not sure why we suddenly care about it in overtime.

There is with the opening coin flip. It assures that one team gets the ball to start the game and the other teams gets the ball to start the second half. The rest of the possessions are created by and based on the play of each team.

If you are going to create a "brand new" time period, overtime and give possession to the winner of the coin flip, you have just artificially created one unequal possession.