The NFL changed overtime rules after the infamous 2021 AFC Championship Game where Josh Allen never touched the ball in overtime. The new rules are better but still flawed.
The old rules (pre-2022):
- Coin toss winner receives the ball. If they score a touchdown, the game is over. The opposing offense never gets a possession.
- The team that won the coin toss in overtime won the game approximately 55% of the time. Source: Pro Football Reference overtime data.
The current rules (post-2022):
- Both teams are guaranteed at least one possession in playoff overtime.
- Regular season overtime remains sudden death after both teams have had a possession.
Why the current rules are still imperfect:
- The coin toss still matters. The team receiving first can score a touchdown AND force the opponent into a must-score-TD situation. Going first is still advantageous.
- Regular season rules differ from playoffs. Why should the rules change based on when the game is played? A Week 6 overtime loss counts the same in the standings as a Week 18 one.
- Ties still happen. NFL regular season games can end in ties. In a sport with definitive winners, this feels wrong.
A better system (borrowed from college football with modifications):
- Both teams get the ball at the opponent's 35-yard line.
- Each team gets one possession per "round."
- If tied after the first round, go again.
- Start from the 50 in rounds 3+ to increase difficulty.
- Continue until one team leads after both have had equal possessions.
Sources:
- Pro Football Reference — overtime statistics
- NFL Rule Book — overtime procedures
- NCAA — college overtime format
- ESPN — overtime analysis