Overtime games in the NFL have always been exciting due to the Sudden Death rule – the first team to score wins. Simple. But the NFL Rules Committee voted to change the overtime rules for the playoffs, so beginning with the games this weekend, if any game goes to overtime – it’s not exactly sudden death anymore.
The new rule is a bit more complicated. If the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown, the game is over. If they kick a field goal, the other team gets a possession as well, with a chance to tie (with a field goal) or win the game outright (with a touchdown). If they do trade field goals, then the next team to score wins. If the first possession is a punt or turnover, regular sudden death rules apply, as each team has gotten a possession. And any defensive touchdown automatically wins the game.
Clear? Not exactly. The idea is to ensure that both teams get at least one possession, and to put more emphasis on trying to score a touchdown, trying to lessen the importance of the coin toss in overtime determining the outcome of the game. And maybe to take the kickers out of the game a little bit more – if you have Sebastian Janikowski on your team, you only need to get to around mid-field.
As the NFL has changed other rules to further improve offensive output, the importance of winning the coin toss has increased as it is more likely that a team can at least drive down for a field goal on their first possession. This is part of the Law of Unintended Consequences – make it easier on the offense, and the Sudden Death rules are going to turn ties into a coin toss for the game.
Given the increased offensive output all around the league this season, the other rule changes have certainly accomplished that goal. Of the six highest yardage performances by quarterbacks in NFL history, four of them were this season.
The problem is – if the concern is fairness, why not implement this rule change for regular season games as well? In a 16 game schedule, every game counts, as teams that just missed the playoffs will attest.
It will be interesting to see how the new rule plays out, if we are lucky enough to get an overtime game this weekend. It will certainly make overtime more exciting, as there is much more pressure on a first possession to score a TD rather than a field goal.
But then again, maybe it’s not really about fairness after all. Maybe its about the inherent prejudice against letting a kicker be the hero of the game?
