When Did the NFL’s Overtime Rules Change?

The NFL’s overtime rules have been through a lot of changes over the years. Keep up with the latest by reading this blog post.

Introduction

In the National Football League (NFL), overtime is a method of extending the game to resolve a tie between two opposing teams. The team that wins the overtime coin toss has the option to receive the ball first or choose which end of the field to defend. It can also choose to defer its decision until the second half, meaning that it can only score on a touchdown or safety. The other team then gets to make its decision. If it opts to kick off, it cannot score a touchdown on its first possession unless the other team commits an offensive foul in its own end zone, resulting in a safety.

The NFL’s overtime rules have changed several times throughout the years

The NFL first instituted an overtime period in 1974. Prior to that, games that were tied at the end of regulation were simply declared a tie. In the event of a tie, each team was awarded one point in the standings. The idea behind adding an overtime period was to try and avoid having too many games end in a tie.

The original overtime format was what is now known as “sudden death.” This meant that the first team to score in overtime would automatically win the game, regardless of whether they scored a touchdown or a field goal. This system led to some very unfair results, as teams that won the coin toss could often simply march down the field and kick a field goal to win without their opponents even getting a chance to touch the ball in OT.

In order to fix this problem, the NFL changed its overtime rules prior to the 2010 season. Now, if both teams are still tied at the end of regulation, they will each get a chance to possess the ball at least once in overtime (unless one team scores a touchdown on its first drive, in which case it wins immediately). If neither team scores after both have had a possession, or if both teams score field goals on their first drive, then sudden death rules apply and whoever scores next wins.

The NFL’s current overtime format has been very well received by fans and critics alike, as it ensures that both teams have a fair chance to win the game before it is decided by sudden death.

The most recent change to the NFL’s overtime rules was made in 2017

In 2017, the NFL changed its overtime rules for the playoffs. The new rules state that if the team that wins the coin toss scores a touchdown on its first drive, the game ends. If the team that wins the coin toss scores a field goal on its first drive, the other team gets a chance to score. If they score a touchdown, they win. If they don’t score, or if they score a field goal, the game ends in a tie.

These changes were made in an effort to reduce the number of games that went into overtime, and to make sure that both teams had a fair chance to score.

The changes made to the NFL’s overtime rules in 2017 were made in an effort to reduce the number of games that were decided by a coin toss

In 2017, the NFL made changes to its overtime rules in an effort to reduce the number of games that were decided by a coin toss. The changes, which were approved by a vote of 32-0 by the league’s owners, state that if a team scores a touchdown on its first possession of overtime, the game is over. If the team scores a field goal on its first possession, the other team will have a chance to score. If the teams are still tied after both have had a chance to possess the ball, then the game will be decided by a coin toss.

The changes made to the NFL’s overtime rules in 2017 were met with mixed reactions from fans and players

In 2017, the NFL made changes to its overtime rules for regular season games. The new rules state that if the team that wins the coin toss decides to receive the ball, the other team will have a chance to possess the ball if the receiving team scores a touchdown on its opening drive. If the team that loses the coin toss scores a touchdown on its opening drive, then it will win the game. These changes were made in order to prevent teams from winning the game without giving their opponents a chance to possess the ball.

The changes to the overtime rules were met with mixed reactions from fans and players. Some people believe that these changes will make the game fairer and more exciting, while others think that they will make it less fair and less exciting. Only time will tell how these changes affect the outcome of games.

Conclusion

In 2012, the NFL made a slight change to its overtime rules. The new rule stated that if the team that won the coin toss scored a field goal on their first drive, the other team would get a chance to score. If the second team scored a touchdown, they would win the game. If they only scored a field goal, the game would continue in overtime. This change was made to make sure that both teams had a fair chance to win the game, regardless of who won the coin toss.