After watching last night's overtime game Auburn vs Alabama, I got to thinking.

 

The game came down to alternating 2 point conversions, this is a cheap way to end a great game, and nothing more than penalty kicks in soccer.   The nfl has a little bit better overtime rules, but it is far from perfect as well.

 

Here is my Solution.

 

1) 1 15 minute period in regular season, after that would be a tie, Playoffs and championship games would go until there is a winner.

2) Sudden Death, first score of any kind wins.

Here is the big changes

3) No coin flip

4) The team that gets possession of the ball first would be determined by a blind bid.

5) Both head coaches would submit a blind bid of a yard line, in half yard increments.

6) The team with the yard line  bid closest to their own goal line would get the ball first.

7) If both coaches bid for the same yard line the Away team would get the ball first.  

 

I believe this would add a ton of drama and strategy to the game.  Imagine putting in a bid of your own 1 yard line and having to get into field goal range to win.  But a holding in the end zone or a safety would end the game for the defense.

 

There would also be a lot of second guessing if a coach was too conservative and picks his own 20 the other team picks their own 15 and goes down and scores.

 

I think this solution is fair and is more like real football and way better than 2 point conversions.  I think it would add a ton of drama.

 

What do you guys think?

What about at the end of the game the clock would be turned off and the play would continue with the same  team keeping  the ball at the same yard line and down? Next score wins.

If you don't want the overtime to be to lengthy they could have 6 or more downs to make a first down. Some strategy to have the ball at end of end regulation. 

     The ‘blind bid’ idea reminds me of that family fairness teaching tool where one kid scoops the ice cream but the other gets to choose which bowl. Guaranteed to drive some coaches nuts

On 11/28/2021 at 1:13 PM, Washington Waddler said:

     The ‘blind bid’ idea reminds me of that family fairness teaching tool where one kid scoops the ice cream but the other gets to choose which bowl. Guaranteed to drive some coaches nuts

I think it’s fair and would require a very strategic coach to get it right.

 

Fans of losing team, wouldn’t blame rules if their team lost and never touched the ball.  
 

They would blame coach for not being more aggressive and pinning their own offense back more.

I may be in the minority here, but I think the OT rules prior to this year were fine.  Sure you may get a crazy 7 OT game once a decade, but that's no reason to get rid of a system that's reasonably fair to both teams.  Current system with two-point conversions beginning with third OT is fluky. 

 

I suppose you could make one change to pre-2021 rules to require two-point attempts after all TD's.

On 11/28/2021 at 6:43 PM, geoquack said:

I may be in the minority here, but I think the OT rules prior to this year were fine.

 

 I am in complete agreement; will stop and watch any game I find if it's in Overtime.

How about just eliminating field goals and extra points and starting each team at 25 yd line?  TD or no count.

On 11/28/2021 at 7:41 PM, Grandpa Duck said:

How about just eliminating field goals and extra points and starting each team at 25 yd line?  TD or no count.

I like it. But starting at 10 or 15 yards

On 11/28/2021 at 12:18 PM, Southwest Duck said:

After watching last night's overtime game Auburn vs Alabama, I got to thinking.

 

The game came down to alternating 2 point conversions, this is a cheap way to end a great game, and nothing more than penalty kicks in soccer.   The nfl has a little bit better overtime rules, but it is far from perfect as well.

 

Here is my Solution.

 

1) 1 15 minute period in regular season, after that would be a tie, Playoffs and championship games would go until there is a winner.

2) Sudden Death, first score of any kind wins.

Here is the big changes

3) No coin flip

4) The team that gets possession of the ball first would be determined by a blind bid.

5) Both head coaches would submit a blind bid of a yard line, in half yard increments.

6) The team with the yard line  bid closest to their own goal line would get the ball first.

7) If both coaches bid for the same yard line the Away team would get the ball first.  

 

I believe this would add a ton of drama and strategy to the game.  Imagine putting in a bid of your own 1 yard line and having to get into field goal range to win.  But a holding in the end zone or a safety would end the game for the defense.

 

There would also be a lot of second guessing if a coach was too conservative and picks his own 20 the other team picks their own 15 and goes down and scores.

 

I think this solution is fair and is more like real football and way better than 2 point conversions.  I think it would add a ton of drama.

 

What do you guys think?

 

Interesting thoughts. Why OT in any game that is not a champ game? CFB played decades longer with ties than it has with OT.