Football overtime

[jstnrgrs]

NFL overtime: Starts just like a new game with a cointoss and ends with the first score. (In regular season games, if the overtime period goes the full 15 minutes without anyone scoring, the game ends in a tie.)

College Overtime: each team gets on position from their opponent's 25 yard line. Team with the higher score wins. If there is still a tie, do it again.

NFL Eurpoe / Arena League: Starts like a new game, but doesn't become sudden death untill both teams have had the ball at least once.

XFL: One team (determined by the choice of the team that won the scramble to start the game) gets four plays to score starting from its opponents 20 yard line (field goals are not allowed untill the fourth play). The other team then gets as many plays to score as the first team took. If both teams score the same number of points, they do it again.

jstnrgrs' idea: One team (detrmined by a coin toss) gets the ball on its own 5 yard line. The game then proceeds as normal (4 downs to get ten yards, punt on 4th down, etc.) and is sudden death.

[Voltron87]

I think the NFL's current system is poor. What % of OT's does the team that won the toss win? I imagine it's high. I think first to 6 points would be better.

[Clarkmeister]

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I think the NFL's current system is poor. What % of OT's does the team that won the toss win?

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Historically (the history of the OT system) it's a shade over 50%. In recent history (last 6 years or so IIRC) it's a shade over 60%.

[Bulldog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think the NFL's current system is poor. What % of OT's does the team that won the toss win?

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Historically (the history of the OT system) it's a shade over 50%. In recent history (last 6 years or so IIRC) it's a shade over 60%.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't find a source to back it up, but I distinctly remember seeing the following numbers recently:

Historically, it's 47% coin toss winners, 48% coin toss losers, 5% tie.

[Jack of Arcades]

Yes, but they recently moved the kickoff back to the 30 yard line which changes things.

[SL__72]

I'm almost sure the coin toss winner's have historically won over 50% of the time, although only slightly, less then 51% I think. 5% ties sounds about right.

[SL__72]

Also, I've never seen a stat on it but I think winning the toss in college (being able to go second) has got to be a pretty big advantage too.

[jstnrgrs]

I think that the college system is worse than the NFL system. It reminds me of deciding soccer games with penalty kicks.

First to six wouldn't be bad because at least field position would still be a factor, and field postion is really what football is all about.

[lastchance]

I like your idea a lot. But, instead of the 5, make it the 10 yard-line. That should be good.

[Toro]

I'm so glad you posted this. I almost did after yesterday's ND/MSU game. A shame such a great game had to end in such a phony fashion. The college OT is the worst imo.