NFL Overtime Ideas for Competition Committee

After the chatter from Colts-Chargers, any thoughts?

I hate to admit it but I actually like the current system but wish there was a way for each team to get the ball once.

I abhor the NCAA version of overtime. Too high-schoolish.

My own idea, I believe, gets to the essence of the game itself and I think it would be the simplest and most enjoyable way to do it.

11 men on each team start at their own 30. Ball is placed along the 50, right at midfield.

At the whistle, the ball becomes live and the first team to secure possession of the ball "wins the toss" and gets the option.

Then it's sudden death from that point. First to score wins. At least that way, it is more 'active' than just a coin flip and adds competition.

Yes, it's a bit on the XFL/Braveheart battle scale but you cannot tell me that all 75,000 people in the stadium wouldn't be on their feet yelling and cheering. It would be a 'must watch'. Besides, the NFL makes the actual ticket-buying fan go through all those damn TV timeouts in the cold. Throw 'em a bone here.

Who would NOT love it? (well, aside from the NFLPA)

Your thoughts on NFL overtime?

 

I'd like to see each team get the ball at least once. After that, first team to have a higher score wins.

Problem I can see is that there could be more ties in the regular season with just a 15-minute period. You could get one team with a 10-minute drive for a TD, then the other team runs the hurry-up and scores to make it a tie. Maybe force both teams to go for two ...?

 

My favorite suggestion is to leave it as is, but you have to win by 4.

 

Make it sudden death with the requirement that both teams get at least one offensive possession. Team A scores a touchdown on first drive. Team B gets a series and scores a touchdown to tie it again. After that, it's sudden death. If Team A scores again without being stopped, it's over.

 

For years, my simple fix is that the only way the team touching the ball first in OT can win on that first possession is by scoring a TD.

Barring that TD, OT goes as is.

 

If a team allows a TD on that first possession, tough shit.

 

I'm all for leaving it as is but I'm just looking for something that is 'football related' to determine who wins the 'coin toss' and 'gets the option'.

A coin flip is gimmicky and has nothing to do with the game. That's why I like the "whoever recovers the ball" idea.

 

I like the idea of both teams getting a shot, sort of like at bats in baseball.

But not at the opponents' 30-yard line or whatever. Make it AT LEAST midfield, if not your own 35. Force an offense to do more than get one first down.

I could accept OT as is, with the caveat that each team gets AT LEAST one possession. After that, all bets are off.

 

Formulate it after the college model.

Start at the 50, no kick offs/ kick returns. No sudden death. To keep the game moving along you must go for a 2 pt conversion on the first touchdown. You had 60 minutes to win the game, and if you couldn't do it, oh well, better hope you can score two points.

This would make things more exciting, it would give us shorter OT's than college, and also make it more fair because each team would get the ball. We could also not have the game end as a tie.

Other weird ideas...

-A kickoff battle between kickers. Each kicker kicks a ball from 40 yards out, then 45, then 50, then 55 etc. First one to miss loses (assuming the other guy makes it) like a hockey shootout.

 

The 50 sounds good to me.

If you cannot pick up a first down, then you are faced with a 50-60 yard field goal.

Once possession is over, the other team gets a crack from the 50.

 

I actually like that idea, or the idea that you have to win by four points.