The NFL owners are finally talking about changing the rules governing overtime, but if owners like Minnesota’s Zygi Wilf, whose Vikings were booted from the playoffs without touching the ball in overtime, isn’t sold on the need for change there’s little chance that fans will get what they want.
The team that wins the coin-toss in OT wins the game 59.8 percent of the time which is a significant advantage.
The owners cite player safety as the reason for the sudden death format. Football is a demanding game and it is a legitimate concern, but the UFL, CFL and NCAA all have overtime formats that are more equitable and still end reasonably quickly.
The UFL gives each team a chance at scoring. If it’s tied after the first set of possessions, they get another set of possessions before moving on to sudden death.
The CFL gives each team possession at the opposing teams 35 yard line, while the NCAA gives possession at the 25. If there isn’t a winner after two sets of possessions, the game ends in a tie.
Any of these overtime formats would be more fair to the teams, the players and their fans who don’t pay to see games decided by a coin flip and they would protect the players from excessive injury risk.
