Garry42

I really think the NFL needs to address the possession rules in overtime, especially in the playoffs. It just seems wrong that a team's season can end without having a possession. Ideally I would like to see a set play period (say 10 minutes), and the winning score at the end of that period is the winner. If tied, then you go to a "first score" format".

The current system puts far too much importance on the coin toss. While I like that they changed the first possession to needing a touchdown to win rather than just a field goal, it still has a ways to go to be equitable. I understand that the amount of time to play an extra period may cause some issues, but you could lessen that by restricting the amount of time outs allowed to 1 (or none) for each team. Every other professional sport has figured this out, so it can't be impossible.

Just my thoughts......

“You have to give 100 percent in the first half of the game. If that isn't enough, in the second half, you have to give what's left.”
― Yogi Berra

burningmetal

I agree, Garry. When the NFL acted like they had done some great thing when they changed the rule to needing a touchdown on the first possession, I couldn't figure out why it remains so hard for them to understand that it still puts the emphasis on the coin toss, as you said.

There's always that wise guy in every discussion who'll say "stop them on the first possession if you don't like it". That's the kind of thing people say when they have no idea how to process simple information. SURE, you would ideally like to stop the other team, but if you can't, why does the other team not have to then try to stop you? So while the difficulty of winning on the first possession went up a little, the fundamental flaw didn't change.

A coin toss should never have ANY affect on the outcome.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

|Mitch|

I don't have a problem with it; coin toss or not it's the defenses job to stop the offense. If you can't stop the opposing team from scoring a touchdown then maybe you really shouldn't be in the playoffs

Garry42

I hear what you're saying...just think it should be equal for both teams. Definitely valid arguments on both sides of this issue.

burningmetal

Hey man, I had just finished making a point, and you followed it up perfectly. It's a tired old mentality to say "well if they can't keep them out of the end zone, they don't deserve to be there".

So how about all the touchdowns these teams have given up all year long? I guess they shouldn't have been allowed in, by that logic. Just because you give up a touchdown, the other defense gets a pass? It's not equal. It's not about feeling sorry for the defense that gives up the touchdown, it's about making both teams prove it, and not having a flip of luck give one team a huge advantage.

That's not to take away from teams who win on the first possession. They are winning by the rules that are applied. But the rules really are dumb, and this is coming from someone who has seen his team lose and win by this format.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

burningmetal

^.... Like I said, there is always "that guy".

|Mitch|

I appreciate you insinuating that I'm a simpleton

Since apparently I can't process simple information...

CharityMike

And there's always "that guy" who thinks his opinion is the only one that is right and then gives crap to another person with a different one.

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burningmetal

Dude, there a few people around here who think their opinion is the only one that matters, and I've dealt with all of them before. You know nothing about me or how I post if you think I'm one of them.

I don't have a problem if people want to keep the rules as they are, though I might disagree with them. It's the reasoning I have a problem with. I'll reiterate my point... It's one thing to say that the rules should stay the same because the games are long enough (though I don't consider that much of a reason), but it makes zero sense to say that if you don't stop the other team from scoring you don't deserve to win. Is it not a TEAM game? The offense gets no chance to respond?

I'm not making excuses for teams, because as long as these are the rules, you deal with it. But when they changed the rule the first time, it would have made a lot more sense to give each team a possession, instead of making it conditional upon scoring a touchdown or field goal.

EVERY OTHER SPORT that I can possibly think of has overtime rules that guarantee each team an equal chance. When I feel strongly enough that people are wrong about something, I will make it known. Don't be a hypocrite and act like you aren't the same way.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

dam1953

A team has four quarters to get it done. So, I have no problem with sudden death after four. What I didn't like was the way it was, where it was decided by who could kick the first field goal.