The sudden death overtime rules call for a 15 minute period to follow the end of regulation. The first team to score wins. During the regular season, if after the end of the overtime period, no team scores, the game is recorded as a tie.
Playoff games will continue with multiple overtime periods until somebody does end up scoring. "At the end of regulation time the Referee will immediately toss coin at center of field in accordance with rules pertaining to the usual pregame toss." Unfortunately, the key to the game often rests on the flip of the coin.
Problems with Sudden Death Overtime
The team who wins the coin toss can elect to receive or kick away the ball. The teams that elect to receive usually go on to win, but not always. According to Advanced NFL Stats, 60% of the games are won by the team that wins the toss, a very decided advantage.
Some of the problems with the current system include:
- Only three, or in rare cases, two points are required to win the game
- The team that loses the toss, may never even touch it in the overtime period
The NFL should seriously consider other options that would make overtime more fair and more competitive.
Alternative Overtime Proposals
Proposals for change as numerous, but proponents for change cannot agree on how it should be done.
Proposals include:
- Adopting the NCAA rules which gives each opponent a chance at the ball at the 40 yard line, with the team scoring the most winning.
- Play a full 15 minute quarter, removing the sudden death nature of OT.
- Allowing each team the opportunity to touch the ball at least once during the OT.
- According to Caroll Troscair, "A better test of the teams may have been to give them a normal time out, similar to what they have between the third and fourth periods, then resume the game wherever it had stopped at the end of regulation."
- The first team to score six points wins.
The major hurdle is the league itself refusing to adopt new rules. Their primary concern seems to be with television time for extended games.
The Most Competitive Overtime Option
A combination of strategies may work best. The most competitive option is to award the win to the first team that scores at least six points. This would reduce the number of wins based on a lucky field goal. While the coach may still go for that option, it will be with the mind that they need three more points after the other team gets their chance.
Combining with this Trosclair's suggestion of simply taking a normal time out and resuming play seem to be the best option to increase competitive play. In the fourth quarter, there is more incentive to at least have good field position, the down and distances remain the same when the fifth quarter starts.
The six-point requirement would provide incentive to go for it rather than try for a timid field goal attempt, unless absolutely necessary. The NFL should commit to improvements in OT to ensure fair game outcomes that are not subject to the flip of a coin.
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