OT rules in NFL need to change ASAP.....

[thekimmer]

Yes I am a Saints fan but I said the same thing when it happened to the falcons in the SB and I detest the falcons.

The 'sudden death' rule in NFL football might have been kinda sexy and exciting at one time but now, especially with the offensive bent of the game today, it is just plain unfair. The rule modification was a step in the right direction but for the life of me I don't know why the league saw the need to limit it to a FG on the first possession. Given the nature of the game today, both teams deserve a chance with the ball before sudden death kicks in. Even with the currently modified rule it still gives one team too much of an advantage based on a random coin toss.

 

[SwampDawg]

Yes

 

[BlueRidgeMtns]

Agreed, NFL OT is a joke.

 

[patdog]

How long are you going to play then? OT should be simple. Just a quarter change, no different than going from the 3rd to the 4th quarter. First team to score wins. Sure, one team will be in a better position to start OT, but it will be because they earned that position on the field of play.

 

[VegasDawg13]

How long are you going to play then? OT should be simple. Just a quarter change, no different than going from the 3rd to the 4th quarter. First team to score wins. Sure, one team will be in a better position to start OT, but it will be because they earned that position on the field of play.

This is probably the fairest way to do it without dragging the game out too long, but it takes away a considerable amount of excitement. 2-minutes drills when a game is tied would now be gone.

 

[patdog]

True. On the other hand, 2-minute drills often drag out for damn ever too, what with all the time outs and stoppages to "please reset the clock from :26 to :28."

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

So make it each team gets at least one possession, but you have to go for 2 on a TD

 

[maroonmania]

How long are you going to play then? OT should be simple. Just a quarter change, no different than going from the 3rd to the 4th quarter. First team to score wins. Sure, one team will be in a better position to start OT, but it will be because they earned that position on the field of play.

I actually like the format college uses except I would start teams on the 10 rather than the 25 and I would not allow any 1 point extra points in OT. Those 2 things should help shorten the time needed to determine a winner. These games that go 5 or 6 OTs with each team driving all the way from the 25 and not making teams go for 2 until the 3rd OT go WAY too long for guys that have already played over 3 hours of football even before OT begins. I just like the fairness of the college OT better.

 

[Nunya.sixpack]

I think special teams TDs should not count in the final score.

 

[615 Guy]

NFL OT rules aren't designed to be fair. They are setup this way to encourage teams not to play for a tie in regulation. If you play to tie you very easily may not get the ball, so play to win. I see no reason to change the format, I would, however, like to see more of the black jersey refs, that was wild in the Houston/Buffalo game.

 

[11thEagleFan]

Eh. I’m fine with the rule as-is. I’m a Saints fan too, but they didn’t deserve to win, which is painful to say because they’ve had the talent to win a championship for 3 straight years now. That game was lost on two plays. The missed field goal before halftime and the Brees fumble in the red zone.

 

[ChroamOneHundred]

Play with no game clock until the first score and then after the first score put 5 (or maybe 3) minutes on the game clock.

Probably track time still for quarter breaks.

 

[ll Martain ll]

They could take a page from soccer, and do two additional 3 or 5 minute periods, so both teams at minimum get the ball kicked off to them. If no one scores at the end of the 2nd OT period it goes to untimed sudden death, first team to score wins.

 

[Nunya.sixpack]

We should also disallow tackling of saints.

 

[mstateglfr]

How long are you going to play then? OT should be simple. Just a quarter change, no different than going from the 3rd to the 4th quarter. First team to score wins. Sure, one team will be in a better position to start OT, but it will be because they earned that position on the field of play.

It's the end of the game- no sports just continue play into overtime, they have a definitive start.
Also, why view OT as just another quarter? Why not view it as halftime?...its just as arbitrary. One way makes as much sense as the other.

Anyways...

Golf- the extra holes are predetermined and each player gets to complete the hole. It isnt that the first to sink their putt is the winner.
Baseball- both teams play offense and defense. It isnt just that the away team gets to hit and if they score the game is over.
Basketball- both teams play offense and defense within the given time. It's not like the team that ends the game with the ball gets the ball in overtime and wins if they score first.
Hockey- both teams play offense and defense within a given time...just see basketball.
Soccer- both teams...just see hockey and basketball.

All these sports start overtime on a level playing field and/or allow for both teams to play offense and defense so there isnt an advantage to just starting with the football.

Football though- score a td and the game is over without the other team having a chance to score on offense and without the scoring team having to play defense. Half of each team's play is eliminated. Its absurd.



Each team should have equal offensive possessions and play continues until one team is ahead after both teams have had equal possessions.
It's quite simple.
This would allow both sides to play offense and defense while also retaining special teams, which is important.

Examples-
- team 1 scores, so they kick off and team 2 has a chance to match. If they match, then they kick off and both sides get to play both offense and defense again.
- team 1 punts, so team 2 gets to play offense and scores. Team 2 wins.
- team 1 punts then team 2 punts. Both teams then have another chance to play offense and defense.

 

[VegasDawg13]

Eh. I’m fine with the rule as-is. I’m a Saints fan too, but they didn’t deserve to win, which is painful to say because they’ve had the talent to win a championship for 3 straight years now. That game was lost on two plays. The missed field goal before halftime and the Brees fumble in the red zone.

You left out the most egregious mistake, which was Payton’s clock management at the end of regulation.

 

[JungRebel]

You're forgetting the play where we brought a meaningless blitz and left our third at best corner one on one on one the games best red zone targets. Saints fan too but we deserved to lose, AND the OT rule needs to change. A TD on the first possession is a step in the right direction but both teams need a possession.