NFL Changing the Rules

Most people might argue that the NFL should not have changed the rules, But I disagree with that statement because I think that the rule had to be changed and it was time for a change in the rules because it felt like it was old rules. In what has become something of a tradition around this time of the off-season, the NFL once again is considering changes to the rules of overtime. Of the 12 postseason games that have been played under this iteration of overtime rules, 10 have been won by the team that won the opening coin toss, including seven won on the opening possession of the extra period. The NFL needed a rule change because a bunch of games were decided by overtime, and even in the playoffs. The rule proposed by the Colts and Eagles would have ensured that one of the most exciting players in the NFL had a say in the outcome of overtime. It’s a clever solution, if not a bit gimmicky. While that rule change did not come to pass, a year later the league is still debating ways to give every team a fair shake in the extra period. The NFL really needed to change the rules because when the games went to overtime, they didn’t get a chance to get the ball back and try to even up the score. The Chiefs beat the Bills in overtime by keeping the Buffalo offense on the sidelines during the extra period, Mahomes and the Chiefs won the overtime coin toss again, this time against the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. 

Before the NFL changed the rules, they thought the overtime rules were very fair, but in my opinion, I think that the rule made no sense because one side was always favored because mostly if you get the ball first, you basically won the game right there. But you could make the argument that they could just stop them on defense, but not often teams make stops on defense in overtime. Each team was allowed to possess the ball in extra play unless the club that received the opening kickoff scores a touchdown. If the opening drive resulted in a field goal, the opposing team would get an opportunity to match the score or win with a touchdown. According to the article, “If there was a turnover, the first team to score would win. This rule is still in effect for the regular season. The NFL last modified the regulation, called Rule 16, in March 2012, when the league expanded the format from the playoffs to the regular season”. Owners voted Tuesday to amend the playoff overtime rule in order to allow both teams to possess the ball regardless of whether a touchdown is scored on the first possession of the extra period. The previous rule came under renewed scrutiny after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills by scoring a touchdown on the first possession in overtime of their classic playoff game this past winter.

The league’s owners reportedly passed new legislation that will ensure that both teams get at least one possession in overtime of playoff games. It’s a timely addition — fewer than three months earlier, the Buffalo Bills saw their playoff run snuffed out in overtime after the Kansas City Chiefs won the coin toss, scored a touchdown, and left Allen, who’d thrown for 329 yards and four touchdowns at that point”. Though the Titans’ proposed caveat that a touchdown followed by a two-point conversion could end a game in overtime without each team getting the ball didn’t pass, the removal of a first-possession sudden death ending marks the latest change to the league’s rules. If a team scores a touchdown on the first possession of overtime, it no longer means an automatic victory. The side that lost the coin toss will have a chance at rebuttal. If they tie the game, overtime continues in a sudden death format. You could also argue that sometimes in overtime, why should someone get the ball after the first team scores you didn’t get the job done. Although, all teams should get a shot in overtime no matter what happens. The NFL’s overtime rules now are much more similar to college football’s, which many argued were fairer than the NFL’s previous rules. In college football, each team regardless of who wins the overtime coin toss they get a chance to go on offense from the other’s 25 yard-line in the first overtime. Teams hoped to win the coin toss and win the game at the first time of asking, in the collegiate game, the team that wins the toss usually decides to go on defense first because they will know if the other team scored a touchdown, a field goal or failed to score. According to the article it states, “since 2010, there have been 12 overtime playoff games, with the team that won the coin toss winning in 10 of those 12 meetings. Seven of those 10 wins came on a sudden-death opening-drive touchdown. Twenty-nine of the 32 teams in the league voted in favor of the rule change, according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport. The traditional sudden-death rules will still apply for all regular season games.

 The traditional sudden-death rules will still apply for all regular season games”. Where we saw that most having an influence, I think, was 12 games in the postseason that have been in overtime, seven of which were won on the first possession. When you see that, that’s the type of thing that I think our coaches, and everyone looked at, is an issue in the postseason we should deal with. According to the article it states, “This new rule will take effect only in the postseason. Regular season games can still end with a first-possession touchdown. The NFL last modified the regulation, called Rule 16, in March 2012, when the league expanded the format from the playoffs to the regular season. 

Changing the Overtime rule causes teams to have a fair opportunity to come back in the playoffs. The rule allows each team to possess the ball in extra play unless the club that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown. If the opening drive results in a field goal, the opposing team gets the opportunity to match the score or touchdown to win. The discussions around overtime come more than two months after the 2021 NFL’s playoffs, which saw six of the final seven games decided by three points or less. owners will debate the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles’ proposal that requests possessions for both teams in overtime, regardless of whether a touchdown is scored on the first possession. Allowing both teams an automatic possession could prolong games and increase the risk for injuries.

Ten years ago, the league changed its rules to bring an end to “sudden death” overtime, which a team could win with just a field goal. In the article, “The NFL is flirting with another overtime rule-change that would fix a problem that has haunted the NFL postseason”, It’s a clever solution, if not a bit gimmicky. While that rule change did not come to pass, a year later the league is still debating ways to give every team a fair shake in the extra period. Just one week after the Chiefs beat the Bills in overtime by keeping the Buffalo offense on the sidelines during the extra period, Mahomes and the Chiefs won the overtime coin toss again, this time against the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game. The NFL is once again looking at changing the rules of overtime. Proposed rules could ensure that both teams get a possession in overtime. The proposed rule changes come after several teams lost overtime playoff games without touching the ball. The NFL for years resisted changing its overtime rules to guarantee both teams a possession. When the Chiefs proposed it in 2019 following their AFC Championship loss to the Patriots, the idea had so little support that it was dropped altogether. When the NFL originally changed overtime rules in 2010 to a modified sudden-death format, it was because kickers had become too good, and it was too easy to win the game with a long field goal. Now the rules have to change again because the quarterbacks and offenses are so good. 

The NFL made permanent the rule from last season that a team may have only nine players in the box when receiving an onside kick. The onside-kick recovery numbers dipped to 7.8 percent from 2018-20 and jumped to 13.5 percent in 2021, around the NFL’s historical levels. The NFL’s TV ratings for the overtime playoff games this year were through the roof and that the league’s data confirm that the fan wants to see his quarterback touch the ball. The new rule guarantees each team a possession no matter the game clock. If overtime expires before the second team has completed its possession, the game will continue into a second overtime. If both teams score a touchdown on their opening possessions, the game turns to sudden death and a field goal wins it. 

The NFL approved a resolution from Baltimore, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Tampa Bay that would allow teams to deny job interviews for secondary positions for, say, an assistant general manager or college scouting director until after the NFL Draft in late April. This is to prevent teams from losing key personnel and all the research they conducted to that point. The discussions around overtime come more than two months after the 2021 NFL’s playoffs, which saw six of the final seven games decided by three points or less.  It’s a clever solution, if not a bit gimmicky. While that rule change did not come to pass, a year later the league is still debating ways to give every team a fair shake in the extra period. The NFL approved two health and safety measures. One requires players to wear sensors during training camp to collect injury data. The other requires all linemen, tight ends, and linebackers to wear a padded cover known as a Guardian Cap on their helmets during all practices and team activities to help prevent concussions.

We know that there are many factors that contribute to the NFL making the switch for the league. In this year’s postseason, it happened again, this time with Mahomes on the winning side of the equation. After the Bills and Chiefs traded blows during the most thrilling final two minutes in the history of the NFL, Kansas City won the overtime coin toss and drove the field to punch their ticket to the AFC title game. As Mahomes marched toward victory, Bills quarterback Josh Allen. The Patriots’ AFC Championship win over the Chiefs and Super Bowl win over the Falcons are two of the seven games that ended on the first possession. The two games in which the winning team lost the coin toss were the Rams’ victory over the Saints in the 2019 NFC Championship. This is why the rules needed to be changed and it did thankfully. 

As we know today, the NFL is trying to expand the Overtime rule. The Postseason overtime rule could change. The NFL’s overtime rules are very unfair, and one cited all the time.  As the rule was put into place in 1974, in 2010 they put into play, one team would be able to get a shot to score after the other team hit a field goal with their first possession.  As recently as 2022, There was a survey taken to see if people wanted the overtime rule in the playoffs and in the regular season to change next year. There will be discussions and they have to have a vote on this new rule for overtime and regular season. This is because everyone believes that the NFL needs to immediately put this rule into play so we can see some fairness for both teams because as of right now it’s very one cited, it’s very annoying to watch an overtime and not get to see someone else get a second chance to try to tie the game. Changing the overtime rules in the NFL would basically get rid of the unfairness the league has had for years. After the Bills-Chiefs game, a bunch of players around the league think that there should be a rule where both teams get the ball in overtime. 

After the Bills-Chiefs game, a bunch of players around the league think that there should be a rule where both teams get the ball in overtime. In the Bills Chiefs game, the end of the game was very intense, at the end when the Chiefs won the coin toss in overtime and drove down the field and scored on their first possession. But it was weird when the Bills didn’t get another chance. Changing overtime rules in the NFL would help give both teams a fair chance to score and to make the game more interesting. Since the rule was added, it has always helped the team that won the coin toss. I believe that if there was a rule change, we would be able to see what would happen if the opposing team had an opportunity to score.In my opinion I wanted to see Josh Allen get an opportunity in Overtime because I think that it would be interesting to see what would happen if the Bills tied the game in overtime in the playoffs. It would be very interesting to see what would happen if the Chiefs didn’t win the coin toss. 

Changing overtime rules in the NFL would help give both teams a fair chance to score and to make the game more interesting. After the Bills-Chiefs game, a bunch of players around the league think that there should be a rule where both teams get the ball in overtime. Players around the world think that the NFL is not being fair with the rules in overtime in the playoffs and in the regular season. For example, In the AFC Divisional Round, the Chiefs won the game in overtime without letting the Bills offense touch the ball. It was not fair at all. Another example would be in 2019, in the AFC Championship, The Chiefs were playing the Patriots and in Overtime, Tom Brady and the Patriots had the ball the entire time and Mahomes didn’t have a chance to get the ball. Although the Chiefs couldn’t get a stop on defense.

I would’ve wanted to see Mahomes get the ball and see if he could tie it. The NFL fan base reacted to the Chiefs vs Bills game, and they weren’t happy at all. They weren’t happy with the result because they wanted to see the Bills get another opportunity in that close game. It’s been a couple of decades since the NFL last changed its overtime rule. But that was also done in response to a controversial playoff finish. Teams have been asked for input as to overtime, via the annual surveys circulated as to potential revisions to the rules. There will be meetings and discussions and eventually a potential vote from the owners. As always, it takes 24 to make a change.  if they kick and convert a single point-after the Bills get a chance to match. If Buffalo scores, they have a decision to make. Go for two and the win or kick off again with the next score by either team winning the game. So, if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown, the team that kicked off to start overtime gets a chance to match. After that, the game converts to sudden death. if the team with possession to start overtime scores a touchdown on its first drive, the game is over. The other team does not get a chance to answer.  The Chiefs won the toss and immediately scored, preventing Josh Allen and the Bills from having a chance to respond. This is far from the first disappointing postseason overtime ending for a team. 

In Super Bowl 51, the Patriots scored a touchdown on the first drive of overtime to walk off the Falcons and win the title without Atlanta getting the ball. The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs’ play-off game caught the attention of many and has sparked a conversation about the NFL overtime rules. This highly anticipated playoff game featured three lead changes, one tie, and 25 points– of which were scored in the last two minutes of regulation.  Kansas City won the coin toss and received the ball. Once the coin flipped, the Bills never had a chance to take the field. The quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, connected with Travis Kelce, tight end, for the game-winning 8-yard touchdown pass. Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner. In that case, it means that both teams have an opportunity to come back. Overtime, it no longer means an automatic victory. The side that lost the coin toss will have a chance at rebuttal. If they tie the game, overtime continues in a sudden death format. You could also argue that sometimes in overtime, why should someone get the ball after the first team scores you didn’t get the job done. Although, all teams should get a shot in overtime no matter what happens. 

The NFL’s overtime rules now are much more similar to college football’s, which many argued were fairer than the NFL’s previous rules. In college football, each team regardless of who wins the overtime coin toss they get a chance to go on offense from the other’s 25 yard-line in the first overtime. Teams hoped to win the coin toss and win the game at the first time of asking, in the collegiate game, the team that wins the toss usually decides to go on defense first because they will know if the other team scored a touchdown, a field goal or failed to score.

References:

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NFL world reacts to overtime rules preventing Josh Allen, bills from responding vs. chiefs. MSN. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2022, from https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nfl-world-reacts-to-overtime-rules-preventing-josh-allen-bills-from-responding-vs-chiefs/ar-AAT4Gqw

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Young, J. (2022, March 30). National Football League owners vote to change playoff overtime rule to allow possessions for both teams. CNBC. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/29/nfl-changes-playoff-overtime-rule-to-allow-possessions-for-both-teams.html

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