NFL changes overtime rules for postseason

[Benevolent One]

In a move spurred by Brett Favre's Vikings team not getting a chance to possess the ball in overtime in the NFC Championship game, the NFL decided to change their rules regarding overtime. In essense, a bunch of people thought the Vikings got screwed so they complained and so the NFL decided to fix what wasn't broken. Here is the best explaination of the new rules I could find.

New postseason overtime rules

• Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner.

• If the team that possesses the ball first scores a field goal on its initial possession, the other team shall have the opportunity to possess the ball. If [that team] scores a touchdown on its possession, it is the winner. If the score is tied after [both teams have a] possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the winner.

• If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if [the overtime period's] initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue until a score is made, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.

What would be great now, is if Brett Favre comes back and leads his team to a field goal and then the other team scores a touchdown to beat them. That would be just awesome.

 

[mike honcho]

At least they are not playing up the will he/or will he not comeback next season to bad this year.

 

[mike honcho]

other rule changes also

The key rules change for player safety bars a defenseless player from being hit in the head or neck area by an opponent who launches himself and uses his helmet, shoulder or forearm to make contact. Previously, those kind of tackles were banned against receivers who couldn’t protect themselves, but now it will apply to everyone.

“These are very specific to very vulnerable moments in the game,” Lurie said. “There’s no reason not to protect these players. There’s a history of potentially serious injuries in these types of collisions.”

NFL rules also will now echo those in college when a player running with the ball loses his helmet. The whistle will blow immediately and the ball will be placed at the “progress spot” where the helmet came off.

The umpire now will be stationed behind the offensive backfield rather than in the linebackers area after the competition committee saw “a hundred” examples of umpires being run over.

Also passed Wednesday:

— During a field goal or extra point attempt, the defensive team can’t position any player on the line directly across from the snapper. Previously, a player needed to have his helmet outside the snapper’s shoulder pads.

— A dead ball personal foul on the final play of the second or fourth quarters will cause a 15-yard penalty on the second half or overtime kickoff. Previously in those situations, no penalty was enforced, although players subsequently could be fined by Goodell.

— If a punt returner makes a fair catch signal and muffs the ball, he is entitled to “reasonable opportunity” to catch the muff before it hits the ground without interference of the coverage team. The ball will be rewarded at the spot of the interference, but there will be no penalty yardage marked off.

— When a ball strikes a videoboard (as one punt did last preseason at the new Cowboys Stadium), guide wire or sky cam, the play is whistled dead and replayed. The game clock is reset to when that play started.

The replay judge will be allowed to initiate a review if he believes there was some sort of interference with the ball. This is the only case outside of the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters and overtime that the booth can order a replay.

Coaches can also challenge whether there was interference with the ball.

— If the clock is stopped in the final minute of either half for a replay review, but would not have stopped without the review, officials will run off 10 seconds before resuming play. Either team could take a timeout to void the 10-second runoff.

 

[fergy1370]

— If a punt returner makes a fair catch signal and muffs the ball, he is entitled to “reasonable opportunity” to catch the muff before it hits the ground without interference of the coverage team. The ball will be rewarded at the spot of the interference, but there will be no penalty yardage marked off.

I thought calling a fair catch was “reasonable opportunity”...

I wish the overtime rules would mirror college football, then it would be fair for both teams...

 

[muggle not]

In a move spurred by Brett Favre's Vikings team not getting a chance to possess the ball in overtime in the NFC Championship game, the NFL decided to change their rules regarding overtime. In essense, a bunch of people thought the Vikings got screwed so they complained and so the NFL decided to fix what wasn't broken. Here is the best explaination of the new rules I could find.

New postseason overtime rules

• Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner.

• If the team that possesses the ball first scores a field goal on its initial possession, the other team shall have the opportunity to possess the ball. If [that team] scores a touchdown on its possession, it is the winner. If the score is tied after [both teams have a] possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the winner.

• If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if [the overtime period's] initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue until a score is made, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.

What would be great now, is if Brett Favre comes back and leads his team to a field goal and then the other team scores a touchdown to beat them. That would be just awesome.

I think it is a good rule change. The winner shouldn't be a result of a coin toss. Equal opportunity should rule.

 

[buckaroo]

I dunno, maybe the ball carrier should have a little white piece of cloth hanging out of his hip, on both sides and when someone pulls that piece of cloth out, the play should be called dead. Does the NFL have a COT? When are they going to say that you can't hit the QB anymore? Maybe they should just say that if any defensive player can tough the QB, the play is dead.

 

[SlowNeasy]

what if team a scores a field goal and team b doesn't score at all on their possession? is the game over or do they keep playing? looks like the game is over.

 

[muggle not]

I dunno, maybe the ball carrier should have a little white piece of cloth hanging out of his hip, on both sides and when someone pulls that piece of cloth out, the play should be called dead. Does the NFL have a COT? When are they going to say that you can't hit the QB anymore? Maybe they should just say that if any defensive player can tough the QB, the play is dead.

So, you would rather that at the end of a game that is tied they simply toss a coin to determine the winner.

 

[Benevolent One]

I think it is a good rule change. The winner shouldn't be a result of a coin toss. Equal opportunity should rule.

A coin toss has never decided the winner of a game. The team that losses the toss still has plenty of opportunity to keep the other team from scoring at all. In fact, if they stop the offense from getting a first down, they tend to get the ball in very good field position.

NFL statistics showed that since 1994, the team that won the overtime coin toss won the game on the first possession only 34 percent of the time. Overall, the team that correctly called the coin toss won overtime games less than 60 percent of the time in the last 15 years, or since kickoffs were moved back 5 yards to the 30. That doesn't exactly sound like a system that is broken to me. I've always thought that the way things were done was a little unfair, but these stats make me question that.

I'm not even sure if I disagree with the new rules. It definitely makes things a little more interesting. It just kind of bugs me that people have been complaining about this for years and, until Brett Favre's team lost in this fashion, nothing was done about it.

 

[GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN]

I thought calling a fair catch was “reasonable opportunity”...

I wish the overtime rules would mirror college football, then it would be fair for both teams...

10-4, college overtime is more exciting. I do like Mike Golics answer. Instead of having special rules for Overtime, just put 10 more minutes on the clock and play football, just like an extra quarter. Whoever has the most points at the end of the 10 minutes wins. In case of tie at the end, then go into sudden death.

 

[buckaroo]

So, you would rather that at the end of a game that is tied they simply toss a coin to determine the winner.

I didn't say that. You remember better than me that old "sudden death" game of years ago. Pro football is a great game, but just like NASCAR, it isn't anything like what brought it to prominence. It isn't just the overtime rule, it's the continuing changing. I long for those old days when teams played outdoors, on real grass, in all kinds of weather...in the mud the blood and the beer.

 

[muggle not]

I didn't say that. You remember better than me that old "sudden death" game of years ago. Pro football is a great game, but just like NASCAR, it isn't anything like what brought it to prominence. It isn't just the overtime rule, it's the continuing changing. I long for those old days when teams played outdoors, on real grass, in all kinds of weather...in the mud the blood and the beer.

I will not arque those points. Few games were better than the old Green Bay vs Cowboy games in Green Bay in the cold and snow.

The NFL has changed, Nascar has changed and many other sports as well. However, none has changed as much as baseball. It really saddens me to see what baseball has become compared to what it once was when it truly was the National passtime.

The "good ole days" are mostly baloney, however, there were some things that were much better back "when".

 

[buckaroo]

Muggle, I won't argue with you about baseball. As a youngster, baseball was my passion. I think it still was into the 80's, but somewhere around that time, baseball just became another sport to either watch or pass on. I'd love to get interested in it again, but as you said, it just isn't the same and I know it never will be again.

Back to the NFL, does anyone remember Charlie Tolar, "the human bowling ball"? I can still see him in one game played in the mud, sliding head first into the endzone. One of the biggest problems for me in this sport and all of the sports is that it's become not just a sport where the entrants are there for the "sport", but because of the money. I'd be rich if I could have been savy enough in the 60's to get money into baseball, the NFL, NASCAR, the NBA... heck, even cable TV. But we all know that hind site is second to none. I wonder how today's kids will remember their favorite sport when they are 60. I can only imagine what Andy will write on his blog.