OT: Russell Wilson proposes NFL overtime games be decided by kicks. How would you do it?

Submitted by Erik_in_Dayton on

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/russell-wilson-doesnt-like-ties-has-a…

Russell Wilson suggested that tie games be decided by a single field goal attempt from the 35 yard line.  You win if you make it.  You lose if you don't.  I'm not sure if he was referring to games tied at the end of overtime or games tied at the end of regulation.

How do you think overtime should work in the NFL (or any level of football for that matter)? 

My suggestion, which has its obvious flaws:

Use college rules (trading possessions indefinitely) with the following changes:

You cannot kick a field goal.

You cannot throw a forward pass.

You have to go for two after any touchdown.

Possessions start at the opposing team's ten yard line.

 

This would be a brutal, old-fashioned slog, which I like. 

Bando Calrissian

October 26th, 2016 at 3:30 PM ^

After that disaster of a game, with chip shots missed by any and all kickers in uniform for both teams...

Wilson wants more kicks?

I mean, seriously. I was at the m00n game, and I'm still convinced this weekend's Seahawks-Cardinals game was the worst football game I've ever watched.

Carcajou

October 27th, 2016 at 8:28 AM ^

Or maybe take all of these rules ideas, put them in a hat, and then draw which OT rules apply for that game only.  That would make the coin flip and obligatory explanation of overtime SO much more interesting than it is now.

CHUKA

October 26th, 2016 at 3:32 PM ^

You can't take away a whole facet of the game. I understand maybe no PATs.. but no passing?! Any spread passing team would be at a devastating disadvantage, just doesn't make sense. Me personally I would replicate the college rules except have the teams start from farther back (maybe their own 25 like a touchback); and no PATs after the first OT.

UM Fan from Sydney

October 26th, 2016 at 3:33 PM ^

There simply cannot be ties in football. That is absurd. College overtime is much better, though I think the starting position should be farther, like the 40 to 50 yard line.

Gulogulo37

October 27th, 2016 at 5:29 AM ^

I don't see what's wrong with ties in the NFL, but I agree college shouldn't have them. Not because of any BS thing about ties being stupid, but it's already hard enough to judge so many teams playing such disparate schedules. Ties would just muddy the waters further.

MI Expat NY

October 26th, 2016 at 3:41 PM ^

I agree, but would start at the 35.  Midfield would take a while on each possession.  NFL has a terriby long season.  Any set of overtime rules must consider the added burden of total number of plays added.  

I like the 35 in the NFL because it's still a makeable FG immediately, but not a chip shot either.

Picktown GoBlue

October 26th, 2016 at 10:19 PM ^

NFL teams each play 16 games per year.

There were 325 overtime games through 2014 (1st 40 years of OT).  That's an average of 8 OT games per year, 16 teams per year.  32 teams in the league, so on average, each team is playing 1/2 of an OT game per year.  There used to be fewer teams, but even at 1 OT game per year per team, you're only adding on average 15 minutes of play on top of 16 hours of regulation time in a season.

 

UMAmaizinBlue

October 26th, 2016 at 3:37 PM ^

First team to score a FG wins if, and only if, it's greater than 40 yards, and the kicker does it with his off foot. After the first FG miss, the next team to reach the Red Zone wins. This will either lead to more ties, or fewer, but I don't care because I love chaos.

AlCzerviksRide

October 26th, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^

Regular season: no OT. Tie games. (I know, I know, Americans are unbelievably biased against tie games, but the game is defined as 60 minutes long. Tie games happen.)

Playoffs: Old NFL OT rules. The coin flip winner was not, contrary to popular belief, predisposed to be the winner. College OT as currently constructed is actually FAR more biased toward the coin flip winner.

Playoffs idea #2: Keep playing right through 0:00.  So if I have the ball in a tie game with 0:28 seconds to go, I take my time, the clock rolls 0:00, and we keep going with only the play clock running.

Playoffs idea #3: Ryder cup style. Visiting team has to win. Tie game goes to the home team (presumably the higher seed = last Ryder Cup champion). Super Bowl is similar as the presumption goes the way of the higher ranked team, however you want to define it. Lower ranked team has to win it.

 

 

 

AlCzerviksRide

October 26th, 2016 at 4:05 PM ^

That's what it was. It was 50% (I think the actual difference was a single game in favor of the team winning the coin flip) until 1994, when they moved the kickoff back 5 yards to the 30. Before that, when the kickoff was at the 35, it was even. After that, with the kick from 30, it jumped almost 10%.

Thanks for jogging that bit of memory.