When Did the NFL Change Its Overtime Rules?

The NFL overtime rules have been a hot topic of debate for years. Some people think that the current rules favor the offense too much, while others believe that they provide a fair chance for both sides to win the game.

Introduction

In the NFL, overtime is a way to extend the game if the score is tied at the end of regulation play. Each team gets one possession to score, and if neither team scores, the game ends in a tie. The overtime rules were first implemented in 1974, and they have undergone several changes since then.

The most recent change came in 2012, when the NFL decided to give each team a chance to possess the ball at least once in overtime, regardless of whether the first team to have the ball scored a touchdown or not.

Prior to this change, if the first team to have the ball scored a touchdown on its first drive of overtime, the game would be over. This was known as sudden death and it often resulted in unfair outcomes.

The new overtime rules have been generally well-received, although there are still some critics who argue that they don’t do enough to prevent games from ending in a tie.

The Early Days of Overtime in the NFL

In the early days of overtime in the NFL, the rules were very simple: whichever team scored first won the game. This system was in place from 1934 until 1940, when the league implemented a new rule that stated if both teams were tied at the end of regulation, they would play a sudden death overtime period. This new overtime rule would see both teams get a chance to possess the ball on offense, starting from their own 25-yard line. If neither team could score after both had a chance to possess the ball, the game would end in a tie.

The Current NFL Overtime Rules

In the current NFL overtime rules, each team has the opportunity to possess the ball at least once during overtime, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its first possession. In that case, the game is over. If neither team scores on its first possession, or if both teams score field goals, then each team has a chance to score on its second possession.

However, if one team scores a touchdown on its second possession and the other team does not score on either of its first two possessions, then the game is over. The current rules were put into place before the start of the 2010 NFL season and have been unchanged since.

Why Did the NFL Change Its Overtime Rules?

In 2017, the NFL changed its overtime rules in an effort to reduce the number of games that were decided by a single possession. Prior to the change, teams could score a touchdown on their first drive of overtime and then win the game without giving the other team a chance to possess the ball. The new rule requires both teams to have a chance to possess the ball at least once in overtime, regardless of whether or not a touchdown is scored on the first drive. If neither team scores a touchdown on their first drive, then each team will get another chance to score on their second drive. If neither team scores on their second drive, then the game will be decided by a coin toss.

How Do the New Overtime Rules Affect the Outcome of Games?

The new overtime rules were designed to add excitement to the game and to prevent one team from having an unfair advantage over the other. In the past, the team that won the coin toss would often choose to receive the ball and then score a touchdown, making it very difficult for the opposing team to catch up. The new rules state that each team must have a chance to possess the ball at least once in overtime, regardless of who wins the coin toss. If the team that wins the coin toss scores a touchdown on their first drive, the other team will still have a chance to score. If both teams score touchdowns on their first drives, or if neither team scores, then the game will go into sudden death mode and whichever team scores next will win.

Conclusion

In 2017, the NFL’s overtime rules were amended in an attempt to minimize the number of games that were decided by a single possession. The new rules state that if the score is tied at the end of regulation, each team will get at least one opportunity to score. If the score is still tied after both teams have had a chance to score, the game will end in a tie.

The NFL’s overtime rules have undergone several changes over the years, but the most recent change was implemented in 2017.