AMIDST a flurry of rule changes this offseason, there is still one aspect of the game that the NFL isn’t interested in changing.
The NFL has no plans to adopt a new format for overtime.
The NFL has debated the college football overtime format[/caption]
NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson revealed that the league won’t change its overtime format[/caption]
This offseason, the NFL did make a change to overtime rules, adopting the playoff ruleset that was in place last season into the regular season.
Those rules give both teams an opportunity to score in overtime before the game ends.
Previously, if the team that received the ball first scored a touchdown, the game was over.
Now, a team has the opportunity to match that score and extend overtime.
However, in the regular season there is still an opportunity for a game to end in a tie if the overtime period ends with equal scores.
In recent years, many fans have called for the league to adopt the overtime rules that are in place in college.
That ruleset sees the two teams enter a shootout, with both getting equal opportunities to score starting from the opponent’s 25-yard line.
If the game remains tied after two overtime periods, the teams continue the shootout by going for two-point conversions until one team wins at the end of a period.
This format has led to plenty of exciting finishes, and leaves no opportunity for a tie, something that fans love.
The NFL knows that fans are interested in a change to overtime, and has mulled it over in the past.
“It’s been debated before,” NFL rules analyst Walt Anderson told The U.S. Sun.
Anderson explained that the league wants to see every aspect of the game showed off in overtime.
While college overtime has no kickoffs or punts, the NFL showcases those in its overtime periods.
“The NFL feels like if we are, for any reason, going to extend play, we want to encompass the entire game,” Anderson continued.
“We want all aspects of the game to be included. Kicks, potential punts, passing, running, everything.
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“So that’s why the league has always opted for just continuing what would be the pace of play, if you will, that starts the game.
“Just start that again in overtime, that way you have all aspects of the game and all strategies of the game included in that process.
“That’s the big philosophical difference between the NFL and the college game.”
It appears that the NFL is set on having a different format for overtime than college football.
However, that doesn’t mean the topic won’t be revisited in the future for a potential change.
