My NFL Overtime Rules Fix

[Broncos6482]

College football's overtime is perfect.

Perfectly awful. Starting a team in field goal range and eliminating punting completely is beyond stupid.

 

[Manster7588]

College football's overtime is perfect.

Then let college football keep it.

 

[night]

Perfectly awful. Starting a team in field goal range and eliminating punting completely is beyond stupid.

What is so awful about both teams having an equal opportunity?

 

[ducky]

I'm not whining that it's unfair. It is unfair.

I still don't get this. How is it unfair?

People act like a team taking the opening drive down the field for a TD is so common. TD's happen on less than 20% of drives in the NFL.

If your team can't stop the opposing team from taking the ball down the field in OT for a TD, they didn't lose because the OT rules are unfair...they lost because their defense wasn't good enough to win the game.

If a team loses on the last drive of the game in regular time by allowing a TD after being up 4, they didn't lose because they ran out of time. They lost because their defense couldn't hold at the end of the game. There is zero difference.



I said it earlier and I'll say it again: As we go along more and more teams in the league who win the coin toss in OT are going to choose to kick the ball off rather than receive. Because there are some major advantages to being the 2nd team with the ball in your hands: 1) If your defense holds and forces a change of possession, a FG wins it. 2) If your defense holds the other team to a FG, you now don't have to worry about punting as you know you are in a must score situation. The team that receives in OT doesn't have either of those benefits.

Teams take the ball in OT because that is what they have always done so. Coaches who trust their defense to not let the other team score a TD flat out should kick off IMO.

 

[Broncos6482]

What is so awful about both teams having an equal opportunity?

1. I explained in my post why I think it's awful.
2. It's not an equal opportunity, the team that goes second has a definite advantage, hence why they always choose to go on defense first.

 

[night]

1. I explained in my post why I think it's awful.
2. It's not an equal opportunity, the team that goes second has a definite advantage, hence why they always choose to go on defense first.

Both teams start with the same field position. In the NFL it basically comes down to who wins a coin flip which is a silly system.

 

[Broncos6482]

Both teams start with the same field position. In the NFL it basically comes down to who wins a coin flip which is a silly system.

No it doesn't. I've already shown the statistic that the receiving team and kicking team are essentially equal when it comes to winning overtime games.

 

[WizardHawk]

Baseball is the only sport that has OT rules that make sense. Because it's not actually changing the game any.

The current OT rules are in place because 30 years ago 17-14 games were entirely common and OT periods would often end in neither side scoring, or both scoring and creating another time. The idea of sudden death was added to reduce the wear and tear on the players because of it.

Leave it as is for the regular season. It's not perfect, but it's a compromise.

But for fucks sake add extra periods to the post season! Kicks, punts, field position, and working the clock are all part of the game. Add 2 5 minute over time periods and then go to sudden death if it isn't over. Give both sides a chance to use all of the tools in their belt to decide who is moving on in the playoffs.

 

[Vitamike]

At some point the rams will be so tired they will be shells of what they are and then you have a whole new complaint.
To me the current rule isn't broken.

The Rams?

What?

 

[Manster7588]

The Rams?

What?

Phone error, should have been teams.

 

[NEhomer]

4 downs plus a punt is 5 downs.

Incorrect analysis because they can't go for it on 5th down. They are compelled to punt.

Please let us know when this schooling and amazement begins, I haven't seen it yet.

 

[wings-pens2166]

College football's overtime is perfect.

chalk this up to you're never going to please everyone, because I can't stand college football's OT system.....just fucking awful IMO.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Either leave the rules the way they are & play some defense, or change it to play a whole extra quarter with the same rules that apply to regulation.