NFL Overtime chatter

[Fritz]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...ll/5431053.htm

NFL Considers Two-Possession Overtime
DAVE GOLDBERG
Associated Press

NEW YORK - The NFL has chosen one proposal for changing its overtime rule: allowing each team at least one possession if a game is tied after regulation.

Whether the league adopts the change at its annual meeting in Phoenix next week remains a big question.

"I can't make a prediction on that. It'll be close," Tampa Bay general manager Rich McKay said Wednesday on a league conference call after presiding over two weeks of competition committee meetings that ended with members split on the issue.

The pressure to change overtime, which has been in effect since 1974, accelerated last season after teams that had the ball first won 10 of the record 25 overtime games played - or 40 percent. But most of the league's coaches have said they'd prefer to stick with the current system.

McKay said the pressure for change goes back some time, noting that since 1994, the percentage of teams winning on the first possession has escalated for several reasons. Among them: more accurate field goal kickers and the use of a kicking ball that has made kickoffs shorter and given receiving teams better field position.

McKay said the committee received dozens of proposals from fans, teams and the media. But he said it quickly threw out all but the two-possession rule as impractical or too complicated.

That rule would give each team at least one possession. If the game is still tied after each team has the ball once, then the game will revert to the sudden-death rule.

The debate over overtime will probably be the most contested item on the agenda at the meetings.

But the owners also will put a major emphasis on minority hiring of coaches and top executives. It's issue that has received added attention since last September, when attorneys Cyrus Mehri and Johnnie Cochran Jr. began to put public pressure on teams to promote qualified blacks.

The topic is on the agenda for at least three different sessions.

It's also possible that the diversity committee could rule on whether any penalty will be applied to the Detroit Lions, who failed to meet new guidelines by not interviewing a minority candidate before hiring Steve Mariucci as their coach. The Lions have said five black candidates refused interviews.

Also on the agenda is a proposal by the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs to add two more teams to the playoffs. McKay said he didn't think that would have much chance to be approved until next year, after another season with the new eight-division format that went into effect in 2002.

"When we changed the alignment, we wanted to give it time," he said. "Two years was generally thought to be the period we could use to see if there were any inequities."

The teams also will consider a proposal by Cleveland to give another challenge to a team that wins a replay challenge. Currently, a team gets two challenges per game, with the possibility of extras in the final two minutes of each half, when a replay official makes the challenge.

One thing that won't happen is the awarding of any future Super Bowls - they are set through 2006, which will cap the 2005 season. League vice president Joe Browne said the 2007 game is likely to be awarded at the May meetings in Philadelphia, and is most likely to go to Florida.

[Taur]

Why is the simplest answer never the correct anser for the NFL?

When Overtime starts now they put 15:00 on the clock and play in sudden death mode. Why not eliminate the sudden death mode and just play the 15:00 out?

At least they are not considering the college overtime. Regulation ends 7 to 7 and overtime ends 52 to 48.

[Alf]

Hmm, why is here a NFL topic on this topic. I thought it was a War on Irak forum

[oykib]

Originally posted by Taur
Why is the simplest answer never the correct anser for the NFL?

When Overtime starts now they put 15:00 on the clock and play in sudden death mode. Why not eliminate the sudden death mode and just play the 15:00 out?

At least they are not considering the college overtime. Regulation ends 7 to 7 and overtime ends 52 to 48.

The potential for injuries is too great. You have to consider that these guys have already played a full game. With the increased pressure of overtime, it's inevitable that some big name guys'd get hurt under that system.

They should play first to four points. If you give up a touchdown on the first possession, you deserve to lose, anyway. We just don't want teams losing on cheap 50 yarders on the opening possession.

[Ksyrup]

I say leave it the way it is, just make kick offs from the 35 or 40, to lessen the chance of automatic good field position. If a team drives 50 yards on the first position to kick a field goal to win, your defense failed and you deserve to lose.

[Alf]

Ksyrup : very sensible remark !

[Ksyrup]

It happens now and then!

[Samdari]

I like either oykib or Ksyrup's proposals. Both are simple and elegant, not requiring any "colvoluted" rules, like I am sure the two possession thing would seem. We need Tags to hang out here.