NFL Overtime: The Perfect Solution To The NFL's Overtime Rule Debate

The NFL is continuing to experiment with their overtime rules, but the answer is already in front of them.

NFL owners on Tuesday rejected the idea of a ten minute overtime period — at least for now

And thank goodness they did, because that sounds terrible.

NFL owners tabled a proposal that would reduce overtime in preseason and regular season to 10 minutes. Will be revisited at May meetings.
— Bob Glauber (@BobGlauber) March 28, 2017

There are two things the NFL needs to achieve with whatever overtime rule is put in place in future seasons — fairness and the elimination of ties.

Obviously the old “sudden death” overtime rule was outdated and unfair. If regulation ends with a tie game, then both teams should get an equal opportunity.

The new rule, where you can’t win the game with a field goal on your first possession, is tremendously better than the old rule, but it’s still far from perfect.

And I’ll acknowledge there isn’t a 100% fair overtime for the NFL. Unless you implement a field goal kicking contest to end the game, and no one wants to see a game resolved in the way (ok maybe some of us do).

Football is unique, because teams, unlike in basketball and baseball, don’t get an equal amount of time to score.

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That’s why I believe implementing college football overtime rules would be in the NFL’s best interest.

First off, you would eliminate ties. It’s 2017, we don’t need tie games in the NFL anymore.

Secondly, each team would get an equal amount of time to score. The offenses and defenses are on the field for the same amount of time.

The NFL could even switch things up a bit from college rules. Maybe let each team start from the 40 (or wherever really), and eliminate field goals for overtime, meaning you have to get the ball into the end zone. This would also eliminate the advantage that each team receives from going on defense first.

Not only would this solve the two biggest issues with overtime, but it would instantly add an incredible level of excitement to overtime.

Anyone that’s had a vested interest in a college football game that’s went to overtime knows how tense those moments can be.

Why not bring that to the NFL?

One issue that was brought up on Twitter was the ability for players to pad their stats with multiple overtime touchdowns in a back and forth game.

I think the biggest solution to that is to either make those stats not count (wouldn’t that be more fair anyway, since not every team plays the same amount of overtime games?), or just accept those extra stats as part of the game.

(One could argue that more yardage has been accumulated thanks to the NFL’s most recent overtime rule change…..plus how much are stats really going to be padded?)

Either way, that seems like a small issue to even worry about in the grand scheme of things.

Honestly, I don’t see any reason why the NFL shouldn’t go ahead and adopt college football overtime rules, it clearly makes the most sense.

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NFL Overtime: The Perfect Solution To The NFL’s Overtime Rule Debate

By Zach Ragan | Mar 28, 2017

The NFL is continuing to experiment with their overtime rules, but the answer is already in front of them.

More from Tenn Truth