NFL Overtime Rules

[Homer]

Comments on this article?

http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/misc/1458372.html

Should the NFL's overtime rules be changed to make it more like college football?

Personally, I prefer the NFL system to the college system (call me old-fashioned). If a change were to be made, I would much rather have them play another quarter (non-sudden death), maybe 8-10 minutes in length, than switch to the college system.

-- Homer

[andyfox]

I don't like the dual possesssion system. I like the excitement of sudden death. But I see the merits of a 5th period of your 8-10 minutes' duration.

But I hate football anyway.

[Jimbo]

Set up two 900 numbers for each game. When a game is tied at the end of regulation allow the fans 10 minutes to dial in and vote for their favorite team. Each call could cost 99 cents and this money should be donated to the Portland police department to help them replenish their dwindling supply of pepper spray!

[Clarkmeister]

I liked the old college system where games could end in ties at the end of regulation.

That said, I think the current NFL system is fine.

[HDPM]

Really when you boil it down, the guy is just concerned that the coin toss doesn't require football skill. Many of his other arguments are stupid. Like "The Raiders' defense was on the field the last 30 plays and they were tired boo hooo." (The answer of course is to tell the defense to succeed and get a break.) Anyway, all they would have to do to smooth out the coin toss factor is introducing a skill to determine possession of the ball. Just like a hockey faceoff, rugby scrum, or lag for break in cue games. Maybe let each team have 2 offensive plays. Most yards in 2 plays wins. A touchdown automatically gives you the ball at your own 40. Or something similar. You could get some interesting strategy decisions.

[IrishHand]

3 1/2 hours a game is too much as it is. Either do it the current college way (1 possession each) or the old college way (game ends in a tie). Either of those is fine - the current way tends to look like a testament to ineptitude, especially when it still ends in a tie.

[MCS]

3 1/2 hours a game is too much as it is. Either do it the current college way (1 possession each) or the old college way (game ends in a tie).

I don't think the current college way takes much less time, if any. Additionally, the current college way doesn't place ANY upper bound on the total time.

Either of those is fine - the current way tends to look like a testament to ineptitude, especially when it still ends in a tie.

But it almost never ends in a tie. The last tie before the Falcons-Steelers game was over five years ago.