This past Sunday's win by the Raiders on a last second field goal in the overtime period put them in the playoffs. Since the clock expired with the completion of the field goal and the fact that at that point in the game, it was "sudden death" (a crazy term for a sporting event) the game would have ended either way--since the ball sailed through the goalposts, the Raiders win and advanced. If it had been a missed field goal, the game would have ended in a tie.
The positive outcome for fans of the Raiders doesn't negate that the NFL really needs to fix the overtime rules. Its one of those instances where the "best minds" have given us a terrible result. Sports Illustrated explains the rules for the playoff overtimes as follows:
1) Overtime starts with a coin toss to determine possession, with the visiting team captain calling heads or tails.
2) Overtime runs 10 minutes long at maximum, down from 15 minutes in previous seasons.
Each team gets two timeouts. There are no coaches’ challenges, with officials reviewing close plays.
3) If the team with first possession scores a touchdown on the opening drive of overtime, that team wins the game. No extra point will be attempted.
4) A field goal on the opening drive means the other team gets a chance to answer. If the team with second possession scores a touchdown on the ensuing drive, that team wins. If they kick a field goal to tie, possession goes back the other way. From there, scoring is sudden death, with the first team to break the tie deemed the victor.
5) If the score is still tied at the end of an overtime period, or if the second team's initial possession has not ended, the teams play additional overtime periods until a winner is determined.
6) The team captain who lost the first overtime coin toss will call heads or tails to determine possession, unless the team that won the coin toss deferred that choice.
Each team gets three timeouts during a half.
7) The same timing rules that apply at the end of the second and fourth quarters in regulation also apply at the end of those quarters in overtime.
8) If there is no winner at the end of a fourth overtime period, there will be another coin toss, and play will continue until a winner is determined.
www.si.com
Sunday's win wasn't a playoff game but it (and other games through out the season) are every bit as important to franchises where there are thousands of dollars on the line, bonuses for players, HOF implications for special performers, etc... Why not scrap all of the special rules and just play a fifth quarter. If you want to eliminate kickoffs because of the concussion issues...thats fine; just start every drive on the 20. If you want to shorten it to 10 minutes instead of 15 minutes...great. But get rid of the "if a touchdown is scored; that's an automatic victory" or "the third score is sudden death". Flip a coin, line up and just continue playing .
The positive outcome for fans of the Raiders doesn't negate that the NFL really needs to fix the overtime rules. Its one of those instances where the "best minds" have given us a terrible result. Sports Illustrated explains the rules for the playoff overtimes as follows:
1) Overtime starts with a coin toss to determine possession, with the visiting team captain calling heads or tails.
2) Overtime runs 10 minutes long at maximum, down from 15 minutes in previous seasons.
Each team gets two timeouts. There are no coaches’ challenges, with officials reviewing close plays.
3) If the team with first possession scores a touchdown on the opening drive of overtime, that team wins the game. No extra point will be attempted.
4) A field goal on the opening drive means the other team gets a chance to answer. If the team with second possession scores a touchdown on the ensuing drive, that team wins. If they kick a field goal to tie, possession goes back the other way. From there, scoring is sudden death, with the first team to break the tie deemed the victor.
5) If the score is still tied at the end of an overtime period, or if the second team's initial possession has not ended, the teams play additional overtime periods until a winner is determined.
6) The team captain who lost the first overtime coin toss will call heads or tails to determine possession, unless the team that won the coin toss deferred that choice.
Each team gets three timeouts during a half.
7) The same timing rules that apply at the end of the second and fourth quarters in regulation also apply at the end of those quarters in overtime.
8) If there is no winner at the end of a fourth overtime period, there will be another coin toss, and play will continue until a winner is determined.
Super Bowl overtime rules explained
Find out what happens if Super Bowl LIII ends in a tie at the end of regulation.
www.si.com
Sunday's win wasn't a playoff game but it (and other games through out the season) are every bit as important to franchises where there are thousands of dollars on the line, bonuses for players, HOF implications for special performers, etc... Why not scrap all of the special rules and just play a fifth quarter. If you want to eliminate kickoffs because of the concussion issues...thats fine; just start every drive on the 20. If you want to shorten it to 10 minutes instead of 15 minutes...great. But get rid of the "if a touchdown is scored; that's an automatic victory" or "the third score is sudden death". Flip a coin, line up and just continue playing .
