Arena NFL Overtime Rules

And then they came out with DVR.

I understand they have to try and keep OT short, but you can't sacrifice fairness for TV time.

 

Adopt the college system and be done with it. Fair, usually quick, keeps the excitement up, and still decides the game on skill.

 

I think the college method is incredibly inappropriate to the NFL. For one thing as I said, NFL teams would take it to must-score-a-td too often.

But also, I think a sport's overtime should decide a winner by having the teams do the same things they would in the regular part of the game, as much as possible without it taking too much time or being too grueling. Just spotting the ball in your opponent's territory makes it so that the game is decided purely by offense, whereas in the regular game the defense plays an equally important part. The difficulty of driving all the way down a field (which is what the vast majority of NFL drives require) is totally negated if you start with each side already in scoring range.

 

So start teams at the 40 or 35 instead of the 25. Right away, most teams are out of or just on the edge of field goal range. Defense can force an uncertain FG attempt with a simple three-and-out, or with a sack, they could even force the offense to go for it on 4th and long.

Also, there is no "must-score-a-TD" situation in college overtime. A field goal can always be kicked. There is a rule that starting with the third "inning", you can't kick extra points, but instead must go for two after a touchdown. However, the option of a field goal is still available if the drive stalls out.

 

A modified version of the college OT rules would be perfect. Start at the 40 or 50, then each team gets one possession. If they're still tied at the end of the second team's possession, then repeat as needed.

And no ties. Even in the regular season. You just keep going until one team outscores the other.

 

Oh right I was thinking of the must go for two part.

I just think starting teams 10 yards out of fieldgoal range is ridiculous in the NFL. These are professionals, not kids. If they can't drive down a real field length and score, they don't deserve to win the game, IMHO.

 

I think asking for overtime to require driving the length of the field and asking for overtime to not be too long are mutually exclusive here. The longer the distance you make teams drive, the longer an overtime period is likely to be unless you implement some form of sudden death, which I think most of us agree doesn't work. No American football overtime system will ever be perfect because of that, and there will always be haters of whatever system you propose.

But I think basing it on the college system (formally, the "Kansas Playoff", as it was invented by the Kansas high school association) is the best idea. If it works for the NCAA starting from the 25, and for high schools starting from the 10 (in most states), and for the CFL from the 35 (remember that they only use three downs instead of four), then it can work for the NFL from around the 35 or 40.

 

How are they mutually exclusive? That's what we have now and Overtime isn't overlong. Nor would it be with my suggestion of just giving teams one drive of the other scores a TD on the opening drive.

 

I've always believed that the two sports known as "football" should have their overtime rules switched. Football (soccer) should be sudden death and American football should just play the full 15 minutes.

 

I think each team should be allowed to possess the ball at least once. Then after that, first to score wins.

 

Because a form of sudden death is in place that helps prevent that. So let me rephrase: asking to require teams to drive the length of the field and asking for overtime to not be too long are mutually exclusive unless you have some form of sudden death. To which I say...

I don't want ANY form of sudden death, at any stage of overtime. Even that proposal would result in sudden death if the first drive by each team results in equal points.

Again: no system will ever be perfect, but I think college has figured it out the best. Adopt that system and move the starting point back to the 35 or 40. Yes, there will still be detractors, but there will always be detractors. It's a system that at least some can agree works, and right now I think almost everyone can agree that the current system doesn't work.

 

So what do you do when you're playing in Denver? Because at that altitude, if you start on the 35 or 40, you might not even need to move at all to be in field goal range.

Exactly. It's really an easy fix to the current system.

 

You would get a lot of teams choosing to go second knowing they will have 4 downs. Receiving team is at a disadvantage there (which I guess is some of the thinking behind the current rules).

 

College system is like 1000x more exciting. Let's go to that.

AND THEN GIVE RODGERS THE DAMN BALL OVER A COIN FLIP WHAT THE HELL

 

Sure, you might be able to get a field goal easily. That's not the point. If the first team to possess the ball gets held to a field goal, then the second team knows what they need to do in order to tie or win it outright. And if the first team scores a touchdown, then that puts a lot of pressure on the second team to likewise score a touchdown.

 

Sure, but I'm literally just suggesting the same system, just starting it with a kickoff rather than with spotting it within easy distance.

 

I still think Donovan said that 'tongue-in-cheek'. For a guy who went to FIVE NFC championship games, he still doesn't get a lot of respect.

 

lol it was definitely not tongue-in-cheek