Written by: Tyler Deakin
I’ve never been a fan of the NFL’s overtime rules, mostly due to personal experience. When Tom Brady & the Patriots offense received the ball to start overtime in Super Bowl LI, every fan in America knew that the game was over. Sure enough, the Patriots stormed down the field with ease & punched in the walk-off touchdown. Matt Ryan & the Falcons offense never saw the ball after a blown 28-3 lead in regulation that set up the first overtime in Super Bowl history. There’s no guarantee that the Falcons would’ve tied or won the game in overtime later on, but they should’ve been given the chance in the biggest game of the year. Yes, my problem with NFL overtime stems from being a bitter Falcons fan, but there’s much more to it than that.
Coin toss impact
My chief complaint with the NFL’s overtime rules is that the coin toss is too impactful on the outcome of the game. The coin toss ritual takes place at the beginning of overtime to determine which team starts with the ball on offense & which side of the field these teams will take. This is how all NFL games begin; however, there are several key differences in overtime. Winning the coin toss in regulation involves a strategic decision every team captain must make, should they give their team’s offense an opportunity to score now or coming out of halftime instead? Team strengths, opponent tendencies, & weather factor into making these decisions. Some team captains defer the coin toss so that their defense can start the game for these reasons. Conversely, every NFL team who wins the coin toss in overtime will always elect to receive. Why is that? It’s a huge strategic advantage, based on a rule we’ll refer to as “The Exception.”
“The Exception”
Per the NFL’s overtime rules, “each team must possess, or have the opportunity to possess, the ball. The exception: if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on the opening possession.” This exception drastically changes the momentum & outcome of the game. The entire game can essentially boil down to 1 offensive drive from the coin-toss winning team. It’s completely unfair to the other team, who’s offense might never have a chance with the ball. Additionally, many games that were played as defensive slugfests could be decided by offense. That’s my main issue with NFL overtime, but there are a couple more things I don’t like about it.
Ties are possible
Shouldn’t the whole purpose of overtime be to determine the winner & loser of the game? That’s why it’s ridiculous that ties are possible results from regular season OT games. I will say that the design behind this rule is a smart one, as it’s supposed to promote player safety; however, there has to be a better solution than simply letting important games end in a tie. Fortunately, ties are an uncommon occurrence but teams like the Steelers (7-7-1) don’t like it. They’re in an impossible situation in trying to make the playoffs with 1 tie on their record. One way or the other, a decision on the outcome of that game would provide clarity for the Steelers.
Coaches challenge unavailable
The NFL’s overtime rules read as follows regarding coaches challenges, “there are no instant replay coach’s challenges; all reviews will be initiated by the replay official.” I believe that’s a huge mistake, because NFL referees are human and as such are prone to making mistakes when tired. Think about it, the refs have been calling a game for three-plus hours. They’re exhausted, and they’re hoping that the game ends in regulation but heads to OT instead. This is why having an extra set of eyes (coaches) would be beneficial to everyone involved.
Possible solutions
I’m not saying that any of these solutions would solve these problems perfectly; however, here are some overtime suggestions that the NFL could try in an effort to improve the game. The coin toss would be an easy fix, simply give both teams an opportunity to match each other in points (touchdown for touchdown, field goal for field goal) until one team can’t keep it going. This would also mean getting rid of “The Exception” rule as it serves no purpose whatsoever. I loathe this concept, but in college football double overtime games are decided by 2-point plays. It’s a possible solution to ties, although I’m personally not a fan of spoiling the game this way. One coaches challenge per team in overtime should be added, similar to the regulation rules. These solutions, amongst several others, would improve the game of pro football as we know it.