New OT Rules for Playoffs

[kidhawk]

I hadn’t seen it discussed here recently, but the overtime rules are changing for the playoffs. Starting this weekend both teams will get a chance to possess the ball in overtime. Even scoring a TD on the opening drive doesn’t win the game automatically any longer.

 

[Recon_Hawk]

It's a better rule. A game shouldn't be heavily influenced by a coin flip.

I get the argument that the defense gets their chance to stop the offense so it's fair but I don't see it that way. Not every team is built around a good defense. Some decide that a strong offense is a better strength to have and can win a lot of games that way, but if you don't get the chance to play to your strength it's going to be tough to win
At least this way each team gets a chance to play to their strength.

Plus it helps ratings so I doubt this will ever go back to how it was.

 

[Chukarhawk]

The college football overtime rules are perfection in my book.

 

[SeAhAwKeR4life]

It seems over complicated. They ought to just at a full 15 minute extra period. A second if that fails to resolve the score, maybe bust into second stringers.

 

[seahawks08]

I agree l, they should allow the full 15 minutes for the game to be played. I know TV schedules will need to change but both teams get equal time to score more and win.

 

[Jegpeg]

I agree l, they should allow the full 15 minutes for the game to be played. I know TV schedules will need to change but both teams get equal time to score more and win.

I am not sure of the safety implications of that regular season OT was reduced to 10 min to protect players and being realistic backups will only come on if they will perform better due to lack of fatigue not to reduce injury risk.
What do to do if it is still tied after 15 minutes? Play another 15? I am not sure when the last playoff went into a second OT period but it is very rare, playing the full 15 will make it much more common.
My preference would be each team gets a drive from a fixed point and if they both score the same they repeat. The 25 yd line is the obvious choice but you could also start from the 1 yd line to bring safeties into it.

 

[Hockey Guy]

I am not sure of the safety implications of that regular season OT was reduced to 10 min to protect players and being realistic backups will only come on if they will perform better due to lack of fatigue not to reduce injury risk.
What do to do if it is still tied after 15 minutes? Play another 15? I am not sure when the last playoff went into a second OT period but it is very rare, playing the full 15 will make it much more common.
My preference would be each team gets a drive from a fixed point and if they both score the same they repeat. The 25 yd line is the obvious choice but you could also start from the 1 yd line to bring safeties into it.

This is the CFL model but they start at the opponents 35 so they're already in FG range.

 

[hawkfan68]

The college football overtime rules are perfection in my book.

This is one of, if not the, the dumbest ways to handle OT. That's why there are so many OT periods before someone actually wins.

 

[kidhawk]

I really have no issue with however they want to set the rules, so long as all teams follow the same rules it works for me.

If they were to ask my opinion though, I think we could do away with kickoffs and let each team start at the 50 yard line and give them an even number of tries until we have a winner. I like the idea of not being in scoring position to start the drive. I'd really hate to see an overtime where one team goes nowhere and kicks a 50+ yard field goal and the next team goes nowhere only to miss a 50+ yard field goal to lose the game. Sure it's fair, but it sounds boring. I think I'd also limit the total number of drives for each team and call it a tie if nobody wins by then.

 

[FlyingGunHawk]

This is one of, if not the dumbest, the dumbest ways to handle OT. That's why there are so many OT periods before someone actually wins.

I agree. I feel like I'm in the minority when I say I don't like the college football OT rules. I know a lot of people like it.

For the NFL I think they should just play a 5th regular quarter and let the chips fall where they may. I'm just a fan though.

 

[flv2]

I expect the new rules to effectively turn playoff overtime into a maximum of 3 total possessions with an emphasis on XPs. Not really how playoff games should be decided, but it's probably fairer than the previous rules.

If both teams have an unstoppable offense the team that gets the ball 1st in OT is still going to win.

 

[sutz]

I really have no issue with however they want to set the rules, so long as all teams follow the same rules it works for me.

If they were to ask my opinion though, I think we could do away with kickoffs and let each team start at the 50 yard line and give them an even number of tries until we have a winner. I like the idea of not being in scoring position to start the drive. I'd really hate to see an overtime where one team goes nowhere and kicks a 50+ yard field goal and the next team goes nowhere only to miss a 50+ yard field goal to lose the game. Sure it's fair, but it sounds boring. I think I'd also limit the total number of drives for each team and call it a tie if nobody wins by then.

You can't stop on a tie in the playoffs.

 

[kidhawk]

You can't stop on a tie in the playoffs.

Yes, you are correct. I was speaking generally about overtime in the NFL. There would definitely have to be an end to the game in the postseason.

 

[cymatica]

I like this rule, I wouldn't trust this defense with normal OT rules after losing the coin flip. And who knows, teams with a good defense might choose to kick, could make things more interesting

 

[fenderbender123]

So if we win the coin toss we should kick...

 

[hawkfan68]

They could do what soccer and ice hockey do. Have the extra period, if there is a tie after that. There could be FG contest. Each FG attempt gets moved back until someone misses. Then if the opponent makes it or has made it (if they go first). They win.

 

[beaumaris]

I hadn’t seen it discussed here recently, but the overtime rules are changing for the playoffs. Starting this weekend both teams will get a chance to possess the ball in overtime. Even scoring a TD on the opening drive doesn’t win the game automatically any longer.

Exactly the way it should be.

 

[Torc]

I like the overtime rules the way they are...I know I'm in the minority.

The way I see it is, the teams got 4 quarters to establish a winner. They failed to do so. Since they're so evenly matched, the coin flip introduces some randomness to it. I get irritated when I see the "we deserved to see Aaron Rodgers (or whoever) try to score it OT" line. Why does he deserve an extra chance when he failed to win in regulation? He only deserves it if his defense prevents the other team from scoring. We don't need multiple overtime periods because the teams keep going back and forth in a playoff game.

Now, I can see ditching field goals in OT. It DOES seem unfair to me that teams can stop their opponent once, and get the ball after a punt and only have to move 20-30 yards to be in FG range to win it. Let's require a TD, but keep the rest the way it is.

 

[cymatica]

I like the overtime rules the way they are...I know I'm in the minority.

The way I see it is, the teams got 4 quarters to establish a winner. They failed to do so. Since they're so evenly matched, the coin flip introduces some randomness to it. I get irritated when I see the "we deserved to see Aaron Rodgers (or whoever) try to score it OT" line. Why does he deserve an extra chance when he failed to win in regulation? He only deserves it if his defense prevents the other team from scoring. We don't need multiple overtime periods because the teams keep going back and forth in a playoff game.

Now, I can see ditching field goals in OT. It DOES seem unfair to me that teams can stop their opponent once, and get the ball after a punt and only have to move 20-30 yards to be in FG range to win it. Let's require a TD, but keep the rest the way it is.

Good point, but I think the original rules were designed with low scoring games and rules that didn't favor offenses in mind. The way the rules are now, you are giving a huge advantage to whoever wins a coin flip.

 

[Crizilla]

This makes the games too long imo. I've always been a fan of whoever scores first no matter how.