Overtime rules .... Should there be changes next season?

[NJPatsfan26]

Teams like Cleveland and buffalo might play another 4 quarters.

Heh.....your right on that one....might as well let them play like a double header but without a break.

 

[A.C Vegas]

I'd love it college rule style but start at the 50 and then go back 10 yards each time ifit stays tied and then start coming forward again but force 2 point conversions at that point

 

[Kontradiction]

The patriots lost a game in overtime. The rules should be changed.

While I do know what you're saying, there are a lot of us that prefer the college OT rules. I just think it makes the game that much more exciting. In the NFL, way too much rides on the coin flip. Once we lost the coin flip yesterday, I knew this game was over. Yes, the defense should be able to stop them, but our D-Line was clearly tired. It's hard for the fat boys to play in thin-air like Denver's stadium.

For the record, I'm not advocating that we change the rules. The rules are fine as they are. But I will say that I like the college overtime a lot more than the NFL overtime. I just think it's more exciting.

 

[Deus Irae]

Like our legal system and medical systems, the NFL overtime system is the absolute worst system in the world......


except for all the others.



There is no better system out there, and I've never heard anyone put forth a system that would be better. It's the inherent problem with even having overtime in the first place: nothing can fix all the problems with overtime except eliminating the overtime.

 

[NCpatriot]

I think the OT rules have sucked for as long as their existence. Not just when the Pats lose, but when any team that played 60 minutes of intense football loses a game because they lost a coin flip. It simply isn't right. Both offenses and defenses on each team should be forced to come out and show what they have left in the tank.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Sudden death kinda sucks, because the coin flip pretty much decides who wins in OT. Then again I can see why people would be against a full 5th quarter. It would put more wear on tear on the teams.

How about this. ELIMINATE Overtime in regular season games. A tie counts as a half win only for tie-breaking purposes. In the playoffs, OT is a full 10 minutes. In case of a tie following OT. Then 5 minute periods of Sudden Death.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Like our legal system and medical systems, the NFL overtime system is the absolute worst system in the world......


except for all the others.



There is no better system out there, and I've never heard anyone put forth a system that would be better. It's the inherent problem with even having overtime in the first place: nothing can fix all the problems with overtime except eliminating the overtime.

As someone else said "I like it as long as we win the toss" and it's true. Everything depends on it and even if your team is extremely well-balanced on both sides, if the other team is playing for all it's marbles and they're a good team as well, it's a tough win if you lose that toss.

Plus it depends on how the other team plays it; going for the FG vs going for the TD.

Teams play up in OT and the more they're on the field the more chance for injury yet at the same time affording a better chance for the toss loser to win. It's a violent sport and can have a gut-wrenching ending, or at least an ending that'll make your palms sweat

The OT rules are what they are; no matter how they play it OT makes your palms sweat and God knows what else. Heart palpitations, any number of things LOL That's why we love the game. Win or lose keep it as it is.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

Every solution other than a full OT and sudden death would be like making the NFL a three-ring circus.

It's not like our dominant team had been horribly wronged by a coin flip in the las two games that we've lost in OT. The Broncos were marching down the field on our defense, and our offense couldn't get first downs without penalties. OT forces you to play with whatever cards you're dealt. Situational football is what BB preaches.

 

[Simkin]

wrong post:S

 

[RYObroncosfan]

I think the stats say it all...doesn't the team that receives the kickoff only win something like 50% of the time?

If it were 60-70% I'd want it changed...but stats don't lie...half the time the winner of the toss wins, half the time they lose.

 

[Simkin]

I think the stats say it all...doesn't the team that receives the kickoff only win something like 50% of the time?

If it were 60-70% I'd want it changed...but stats don't lie...half the time the winner of the toss wins, half the time they lose.

mmm but for example if the winner of the toss are the rams are the other team are the giants/patriots/broncos its easily that they can win, that does not means that its fair

 

[BelichickFan]

I think the stats say it all...doesn't the team that receives the kickoff only win something like 50% of the time?

If it were 60-70% I'd want it changed...but stats don't lie...half the time the winner of the toss wins, half the time they lose.

This is from 2 years ago but the trend won't have changed with FG kickers getting better and better :

Overtime doesn't need two possessions - NFL - ESPN

"The competition committee has a great grasp of the situation. It knows that the numbers say something needs to be changed. There has been a rise in the percentage of teams that win the coin toss winning games. That percentage went from 55.9 during 1994-97 to 64.6 for the next four seasons. And after it dropped to 60 percent for 2002-05, it went up to 63.6 last season."

 

[RYObroncosfan]

This is from 2 years ago but the trend won't have changed with FG kickers getting better and better :

Overtime doesn't need two possessions - NFL - ESPN

"The competition committee has a great grasp of the situation. It knows that the numbers say something needs to be changed. There has been a rise in the percentage of teams that win the coin toss winning games. That percentage went from 55.9 during 1994-97 to 64.6 for the next four seasons. And after it dropped to 60 percent for 2002-05, it went up to 63.6 last season."

I remember reading that article way back when, actually.

I don't know then...I think the idea of OT being decided on a coin toss is stupid, but I don't know if I like the idea of each team having a possession. I kind of agree with Clayton's idea back then of moving the kickoff to the 35.

 

[PYPER]

I didn't vote b/c none of your options are appealing. The college rules are not an option.

I'm in favor of only enforcing "sudden death" on TD's. If a defense can't keep the offense out of the endzone (which is kind of the whole the point of the game), game over.

If the offense only gets 3, then the opposing team gets a chance to match. If they score a td they win, a fg and the game continues on. If they dont score, game over.

The only way a game can end without both teams touching the ball is if the first team scores a touchdown. FG's are far too easy and anticlimatic to end overtime games with. Especially when you've got two good offenses going.

 

[TriplecHamp]

The homerism here is comical. when the Colts and Peyton Manning lost to the Chargers in OT last season I was happy and when BSPN started to question the rules because of how Peyton never got a chance I lol'd. Never before had they brought up such dissatisfaction with the overtime rules but when Peyton Manning doesn't get a chance the system is flawed. I'm pretty sure 99% of the members on this board weren't at all dissatisfied with the OT rules after Peyton lost but now Brady loses and it may be a problem. Defense is a part of the game, In overtime maybe we should have played tight man instead of that 5-8 yard cushion we were giving Kyle Orton or TBC didn't line up offsides or Merriweather didn't whiff on Moreno, Brady would have gotten a chance.

 

[IcyPatriot]

If the overtime rules were different might we have lost the 2001 Super Bowl ... perhaps that was a 50/50 call. John Madden certainly thought we should sit on it and wait for OT ... but Bill Belichick and Tom Brady thought otherwise and the rest is history.

Knowing that getting the ball is a 50/50 proposition makes the 4th quater and the 2-minute drill very exciting. If the overtime were different then teams would sit on the ball near games end hoping for a shift in momentum by winning the toss.

I like the rule as is. You have an entire game to eek out a win ... if you go to overtime you don't necessarily deserve a chance to win. complaining about refs and complaining about OT is sore loserville IMO.

 

[Two Eight]

I'm fine with the current rules.

I'd also be fine with a change too...I think it would be cool if each team was allowed to possess the ball at least once.

So if Team A wins the toss and kicks a FG. They would then have to kick off to team B who would have the ball until they either:
1. Tied the game again with a FG (game would then become sudden death since each team had already possessed the ball once in OT).
2. Win the game with a TD (Game would be over since each team had possessed the ball at least once with no tie remaining)
3. Lose the game with a turnover (fumble, interception, punt, out of downs etc.) or a Safety or if they failed to recover an onside kick from team A.

Once both teams had possessed the ball once (even if briefly ie: fumbled kick off return) then it just becomes standard sudden death.

 

[alamo]

I think the stats say it all...doesn't the team that receives the kickoff only win something like 50% of the time?

If it were 60-70% I'd want it changed...but stats don't lie...half the time the winner of the toss wins, half the time they lose.

Stats don't lie, but posters who quote stats do

I'm not saying you are intentionally lying, just that you misheard or misremembered.

RealClearPolitics - Articles - NFL's Inferior Overtime

In regular-season games from 1974 through 2006, the NFL reports, the winner of the toss has won 53 percent of the games, the loser has won 43 percent, and 4 percent have ended in ties.

In other words, the coin toss skews the expected results by about 5%. Which is a lot less than you would think listening to the periodic uproar, though moving the kickoff to the 30 has apparently increased the skew.

I like the rules as is, with moving the overtime kickoff to the *40* being the only change. The stats above include many years where the kickoff was from the 35. I think going to the 40 well almost even it out.

By the way, I hate the college format. I've never seen any stats, but I wonder if it's even more skewed?

 

[pencilneckgeek]

I voted for a full 5th quarter, but I'd rather see no overtime than the current sudden death unfairness or the silliness that is collegiate overtime. The last thing we need is some arbitrary construct that doesn't resemble football just to avoid ties. Sudden death is preferable to that farce or the various hybrids that are being thrown out there. At least sudden death could be salvaged if defensive coaches would be more aggressive. The bend-but-don't break defense is death in overtime, especially with fatigued defenses. An attacking defense might lose in a single play, but it makes it possible to turn the tables on the offense, rather than starting out on the short end of the field position battle.

 

[Nonentity]

Stats don't lie, but posters who quote stats do

I'm not saying you are intentionally lying, just that you misheard or misremembered.

RealClearPolitics - Articles - NFL's Inferior Overtime

Quote:
In regular-season games from 1974 through 2006, the NFL reports, the winner of the toss has won 53 percent of the games, the loser has won 43 percent, and 4 percent have ended in ties.

In other words, the coin toss skews the expected results by about 5%. Which is a lot less than you would think listening to the periodic uproar, though moving the kickoff to the 30 has apparently increased the skew.

dude, you missed an earlier post in this thread.

This is from 2 years ago but the trend won't have changed with FG kickers getting better and better :

Overtime doesn't need two possessions - NFL - ESPN

"The competition committee has a great grasp of the situation. It knows that the numbers say something needs to be changed. There has been a rise in the percentage of teams that win the coin toss winning games. That percentage went from 55.9 during 1994-97 to 64.6 for the next four seasons. And after it dropped to 60 percent for 2002-05, it went up to 63.6 last season."

Basically offenses are way more efficient than they were in 1974, which skews the entire statistics. Since the mid-90s passing offences have totally dominated which kills one-possession overtime as a concept. It's completely unfair, and yes, the Colts did get screwed last year. Besides, offensive players can take plays off when they know they're not getting the ball....defensive players can't.

It needs to be fixed, and I think a variation on the college OT is the way to go. Playing a whole 5th quarter makes no sense, it will lead to injuries. I like teams needing 6 points to win, it encourages teams to go for touchdowns rather than kicking once they reach the opposition's 35 yard line.