Owners today may vote to change Overtime Rules

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Looks like overtime in NFL games may have a change if owners vote yes from what I heard on Sirius Radio today...

The team that gets the ball first in the coin toss many times will go down the field and win it before the other teams offense gets a chance,Many owners don't like it the fact that a coin toss decides the game and does not give the other team a chance to tie just like in college football - The difference in the pro game may be the fact that if the team who wins the coin toss in OT and scores,the kickoff to the team who needs to score to tie will be getting the kickoff from somewhere near mid field making it likely a long field to tie - probably 50-50 chance to be approved.

Another potential big change is the kickoff in all games may be at the 35 yard line which is ridiculous..Hope that does not pass among the owners - probably won't.

 

[Michigan Dave]

I would love them to adopt the college OT system, only making the teams start at the 50 instead of the 25. Takes the automatic FG out of the equation, and rewards good defense.

 

[upstater1]

OK, I've solved the problem to overtime.

Why haven't they thought of this change to the overtime rules?

If the team that wins the toss scores on their first possession, then the opposing team gets a chance to have the ball as well.

If the coin toss team doesn't score on their first possession you go to sudden death.

Obviously, then, your best bet is to kick the ball off after the coin toss.

 

[BelichickFan]

OK, I've solved the problem to overtime.

Why haven't they thought of this change to the overtime rules?

If the team that wins the toss scores on their first possession, then the opposing team gets a chance to have the ball as well.

If the coin toss team doesn't score on their first possession you go to sudden death.

Obviously, then, your best bet is to kick the ball off after the coin toss.

You haven't solved the problem, you've just changed it. There's still an advantage to winning the toss.

The numbers are interesting, btw, though 2003 :

Team winning toss wins 52%
Team losing toss wins 44%
Ties are 5%
Roundoff error 1%

The losing team still have very close to 50% chance to win or tie. It's not perfect but it's close enough not to mess with IMO.

 

[BelichickFan]

My solution would be to have the team getting the ball first start on the 20 instead of getting a kickoff return. The numbers are close enough already that starting on the 20 would probably bring them pretty close to 50%; both by reducing the chance of a first drive score and by improving, a little, the field position for the second drive team.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Not happy with this proposed change. If it ain't broke don't fix it. If your defense can't stop the other team and get the ball back then too bad.

 

[Oswlek]

I have never understood the issues around overtime. It seems fair to me.

 

[AzPatsFan]

My feeling is that except for playoffs, go back to the no overtime system. If you play to a tie, after an hour of play, its a tie. I have always wonderd what is the benefit ot having a pure won loss rather than a tie. A weaker team, if playing hard enough to get a tie, at the end of regulation should have the benefit of a half win, half loss. A sort of moral victory.

Nothing is more anticlimactic than a team marching down the field to kick a tying field goal, in order to force an overtime. It would be much more exciting to either go for the win (or loss), and forcing the team and coach to take the tie.

Besides fans go to the game to have a pleasant experience. Winning or tieing taken together lead to the fans of both teams going home happy, more often. Only a loss hurts. The owners want to sell victories, not unpleasant losses. Since the present system allows only as many wins as losses, half the fans will be happpy, half will go home unhappy.

One of the things that made hockey popular untill recently was the fact that even the worst Team ended up with a combination of wins and ties exceeding 50% of their games, usually as much as 60%. So their fans could go to or watch a game and come away at least sufficiently happy to come back for more if their team managed a win or tie at least half the time for the poorest teams.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I don't know if anyone saw BB's thoughts on OT. He'd like to see OT be a 7.5 minute mini-period, after which it becomes sudden death. That would mean in almost all cases that each team would get the ball, and introduces all the end-of-game strategies to OT.

The more I think of what he's suggesting, the better I like it.

Moving back the kickoff point 5 yards doesn't do a damn thing in fixing this problem.

 

[BelichickFan]

Moving back the kickoff point 5 yards doesn't do a damn thing in fixing this problem.

Sure it does, it leads to more touchbacks and more drives starting from the 20 instead of long returns. Given the percentages I presented earlier, only a small change would bring the numbers closer to 50-50.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Sure it does, it leads to more touchbacks and more drives starting from the 20 instead of long returns. Given the percentages I presented earlier, only a small change would bring the numbers closer to 50-50.

It may lead to a TB every now and then, but likely the return men are going to try to run it out in OT anyway. It simply means 5 yards, no more or less. Most game winning FG's in OT are not going to be affected by that. There's still a disproportionate benefit from winning the coin toss.

 

[zippo59]

I don't know if anyone saw BB's thoughts on OT. He'd like to see OT be a 7.5 minute mini-period, after which it becomes sudden death. That would mean in almost all cases that each team would get the ball, and introduces all the end-of-game strategies to OT.

The more I think of what he's suggesting, the better I like it.

Moving back the kickoff point 5 yards doesn't do a damn thing in fixing this problem.

I like the mini period idea too.

 

[BelichickFan]

It may lead to a TB every now and then, but likely the return men are going to try to run it out in OT anyway. It simply means 5 yards, no more or less. Most game winning FG's in OT are not going to be affected by that. There's still a disproportionate benefit from winning the coin toss.

Don't laugh about 5 yards. With the numbers already close, a small change is all that's needed.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Don't laugh about 5 yards. With the numbers already close, a small change is all that's needed.

To me, it's more than the numbers anyway. Even if the results were 50-50, that still doesn't change the fact that many of those games are decided by a coin flip. No game should be decided by a coin flip.

Imagine if we were on the losing end of a playoff OT loss in which we lost the toss, the KO was returned to the 39, Indy or Denver gets 2 first downs, guy boots a 50 yarder, and we're done for the season. In that case I wouldn't care if the numbers say 50-50.

The mini period gives both teams a fair chance.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

My feeling is that except for playoffs, go back to the no overtime system. If you play to a tie, after an hour of play, its a tie. I have always wonderd what is the benefit ot having a pure won loss rather than a tie. A weaker team, if playing hard enough to get a tie, at the end of regulation should have the benefit of a half win, half loss. A sort of moral victory.

Nothing is more anticlimactic than a team marching down the field to kick a tying field goal, in order to force an overtime. It would be much more exciting to either go for the win (or loss), and forcing the team and coach to take the tie.

Besides fans go to the game to have a pleasant experience. Winning or tieing taken together lead to the fans of both teams going home happy, more often. Only a loss hurts. The owners want to sell victories, not unpleasant losses. Since the present system allows only as many wins as losses, half the fans will be happpy, half will go home unhappy.

One of the things that made hockey popular untill recently was the fact that even the worst Team ended up with a combination of wins and ties exceeding 50% of their games, usually as much as 60%. So their fans could go to or watch a game and come away at least sufficiently happy to come back for more if their team managed a win or tie at least half the time for the poorest teams.

They say a tie is like kissing your sister. :singing:

I think the odds of going back to ties after 60 minutes are virtually zero.

 

[zippo59]

They say a tie is like kissing your sister. :singing:

I think the odds of going back to ties after 60 minutes are virtually zero.

Ties are not a good thing. The NHL has recently figured that one out.

 

[Pats726]

somehow I like the fact that both teams get a shot at it...BIT NOT the college way..that to me is bogus...good for college..but?? If a team that has won the coin toss scores..teh other team has a possession to score as well...if neither team scores...sudden death..

 

[upstater1]

somehow I like the fact that both teams get a shot at it...BIT NOT the college way..that to me is bogus...good for college..but?? If a team that has won the coin toss scores..teh other team has a possession to score as well...if neither team scores...sudden death..

That's what I think is pretty fair.

Of course, the strategy then is to play defense first. if the opposing team kicks a field goal, you go for a TD!

 

[52decleetzu]

Looks like overtime will stay the same for now,the change has been "tabled for later discussion in May" according to Mort on NFL Live earlier.He said owners like Jerry Angelo objected and said "that is what I drafted Devin Hester for. It wouldnt have made a difference either way.So a team starts on the 20 instead of the 30,big freakin deal.They need to just give each team the ball at least once,but that would just make too much sense.

I actually liked BB's idea to have a 7:30 overtime period,so that way both teams would be pretty much assured of getting the ball at least once.

 

[Fugowii]

I would have liked to see the team that has possesion of the ball when time
runs out keep the ball and simply swap ends for the overtime. Then play a
15 minute period and if it remains a tie, go into sudden death but don't flip
another damn coin. Just keep the possesion going.

F