NFL owners adopt new OT rule for playoffs

The NFL will now be a little more like college football. NFL owners voted 28-4 in Orlando today to change overtime rules for the playoffs.

Under the new rules, if the team that wins the coin toss and kicks a field goal, the team that lost the toss will have a possession. If they kick a field goal on that possession, then the next team to score wins. If they score a touchdown, the game is over. Also, if the team that wins the toss in overtime scores a touchdown on the first possession, the game is ends. For a complete breakdown and reaction from owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, please click here.

This has been a debate that has gone on for some time now in the NFL. Statistics have shown over the past 15 years that ever since the kickoff was moved back 5 yards to the 30, the team that won the toss won nearly 60% of the time. That was apparently enough to convince more than enough owners to change the rule. 24 owners needed to vote yes in order for it to pass.

Players have stated this week that they want to have a say in this process, but all rule changes are made by a vote by the owners.

Interestingly, the Vikings voted AGAINST the rule change. Had the rule been in effect last year, the Vikings would have had a possession after the Saints kicked the winning field goal in overtime of the NFC Championship last season. Owner Zygi Wolf said he voted against it because he wanted consistency between the regular season and the playoffs.

I like this rule change. The regular season is the regular season. We can have ties in the regular season. We can't in the playoffs. The statistics don't lie, since the kickoff was moved back and the game has advanced dramatically offensively, more teams are scoring on their first possession. The same can be said on the first possession of the game and the first possession after the second half. This rule makes sense for all the teams and does not favor one over the other.

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