NFL won't change the overtime rules

[Sam Hall]

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

After further review, the NFL overtime rules won't change.

NFL Competition Committee co-chairman Rich McKay, speaking on a national conference call, said there will be no adjustment to the current overtime rules. The committee met for 10 days in Naples, Fla., and, after consulting players and conducting a league-wide survey from the 32 clubs, there wasn't enough support to make any proposal to change the current overtime rules, which were created to minimize the chance of ties.

There has been a recent push by fans for each team to have a possession in overtime. Players expressed concerns about safety issues if the current rules are changed. McKay said there has been a growing concern about the increasing number of games decided on the first possession after the overtime coin toss. In 2008, the team that won the coin toss had a 43.4 success rate in winning the game on the series following the coin toss. Overall, the team that won the coin toss had a 63 percent winning percentage regardless of the number of overtime possessions.

In other competitive items that will be discussed at next week's owners meeting in Dana Point, Calif., the committee recommended a reseeding proposal for the draft order in future years. Under the proposal, the 20 teams that didn't make the playoffs would be seeded based on their record as it is currently formatted. The change would involve teams making the playoffs. Those playoffs teams would be seeded in slots 21 through 32 and but they would drop in the positions based on how long they last in the playoffs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have proposed a reseeding change in the playoffs that would reward non-division winners with better records a higher playoff seed than division winners with worse records.

In 2008, the Kansas City Chiefs proposed a rule change to limit the amount of hair coming out a helmet, but the Chiefs didn't resubmit that proposal this year, and it will not be discussed at the owners meeting.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3993657

[Rooster]

I really hate sudden death overtime in Football. It really needs changed IMO.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Rooster

I really hate sudden death overtime in Football. It really needs changed IMO.

Agreed.

The outcome of NFL football games should not be determined by coin flip.

FAX

[BigMeatballDave]

****in cowards

[The Franchise]

The reseeding of the playoffs definitely needs to be changed.

[Sam Hall]

I can't believe they didn't change the overtime rules since there was so much talk about it. Seemed like a common sense thing to most people.

[Chiefnj2]

Good. Teams should play to win in regulation and play some damn defense in overtime.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Good. Teams should play to win in regulation and play some damn defense in overtime.

Giving up a 55 yd FG in OT doesn't mean you're D is bad.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

Good. Teams should play to win in regulation and play some damn defense in overtime.

This.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

This.

Well sometimes it just doesn't play out like that. easier said than done. There are ties all the time.

They need to just make it where both sides get an offensive posession, if one scores only a FG, and the next team on offense scores a TD, then team #2 wins.

This is very simple.

[Crush]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Well sometimes it just doesn't play out like that. easier said than done. There are ties all the time.

They need to just make it where both sides get an offensive posession, if one scores only a FG, and the next team on offense scores a TD, then team #2 wins.

This is very simple.

With all due respect, these are professionals. Everyone does not deserve a trophy. In overtime, you need to be sharp in all three phases of the game. Your special teams gave up a 90+ yard kick return for a TD? Too bad, so sad. Your defense let the opposing offense get into position for a 50+ yard FG? Too bad, so sad. Your offense turned over the ball, which set up the subsequent score for the loss? Too bad, so sad. Teams need to learn how to win regulation. If they do not, then they both need to suffer the consequences.

The only thing I would change is the method of how ties are handled. A tie should result in a loss for both teams involved. No separate column for ties. If either team cannot impose their will over the other in 75 minutes, then they are both losers.

[BigMeatballDave]

I'm OK with sudden-death OT, they should eliminate FGs in OT, though.

[DeezNutz]

Is the league going to allow 22 teams into the playoffs, though? /the ****ing idiot who used to be in charge in KC/

[FAX]

There are tons of ways to handle a tie or deal with overtime if the NFLPA doesn't want to actually play the game some more and stuff. The head coaches could bare-knuckle the question at mid-field, for example. Or, the cheerleaders could strip and either applause or text message votes determine the winner. Or, each team could elect a representative to trade nut kicks on the 50-yard line with the first guy to cry "uncle" being the loser. Tons of ways.

FAX

[talastan]

I don't have a problem with either changing OT rules or for reseeding playoffs. The best teams should get in, regardless of rank in division. This IMO promotes a much more exciting regular season, and makes the playoffs that much more enjoyable and competitive with fans knowing that every team that made it deserves to be there.