The NFL's OT format has been a subject of debate for at least the last 10 years, if not longer. The NFL has been around for nearly a century, but for over half that time, there was no overtime. OT was instilled in 1940, but only for division tiebreak games, and it wasn't instilled into NFL Championship games until 1946.
The old sudden death OT was instilled in 1974, and it greatly reduced the number of ties in the NFL. Before then, many regular season games ended in ties because there was no OT. The sudden death OT rules were simple; first score of any kind wins, with a coin toss deciding possession. Because of this, many OT games ended with the team who won the toss getting to FG range and winning with a successful kick, with the opposing team not even getting a possession. Despite an immense amount of games (regular season and playoffs) ending like this, it took until the 2009 NFC Championship for change to be considered. We all remember this. Saints/Vikings going to OT; Saints win the toss, get to FG range, Garrett Hartley makes the FG and NO reaches the Super Bowl without Brett Favre even getting on the field in the extra period.
Here's how the current OT works: coin toss decides possession. If the winner of the coin toss scores a TD, the game is over. If that team only kicks a FG, the other team will have a chance to at least tie it with a FG of their own, or win it with a TD. The sudden death rules come back into play if the period's opening possession is scoreless, or if both teams make FGs. A defensive score ends the game, and the game can end in a tie if nothing is decided after the OT period. The modified OT debuted in 2010 and was only used in postseason games until 2012, when all games featured the new rules. Though it has seen an increase in two possession OTs, there have still been some games that have ended with one-possession TD, most notably Super Bowl LI and this year's AFC Championship. The NFC Championship saw both teams touch the ball.
I've said since the current OT was changed that it's good for defenses, as it is much harder to keep a team out of FG range than it is to keep them out of the end zone. However, I am open to change and regarding suggestions for the new NFL OT, there are two popular choices, and they are as follows:
[*]NCAA Rules OT: The more suggested idea among fans. In college football, OT is played pretty much like shootout rounds. After the coin toss decides possession, the ball is placed on the opposing 25 yard line, and play starts from there. Even if a TD and successful PAT are converted, the opposing team will get the ball with a chance to tie it. If both teams tie in OT, the game continues. The PAT is allowed in the first two OTs, but in the third and beyond, teams have to go for two after a TD. The CFL has the same rule, but in regular season games, only two OT shootout rounds take place, and after that, the game ends--regardless of the score. Also, in the CFL, the ball is placed on the opposing 35 yard line.
[*]Full Period: Another suggestion I've heard is that the full OT period should be played out, with the higher score winning and ties still coming into play if nothing is decided. When the OT period was added in 1974, it was a 15 minute period just like the regulation periods. In 2017, the NFL decreased the OT period to 10 minutes, though it is 15 minutes in playoff games.
So which new rule should they instill: college rules or the full period?
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