Overtime in Football

There has been quite a bit of talk lately on how the best way to construct an overtime session that is fair to both teams to decide a winner when games are tied at the end of regulation.

The 2021 NFL rules book says this about OT:

Regular Season: There shall be a maximum of one 10-minute period, even if the second team has not had an opportunity to possess the ball or if its initial possession has not ended. If the score is tied at the end of the period, the game shall result in a tie.

Playoffs: If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if the second team’s initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.

If the first team on offense scores a TD it is game over they win. IF the first defense scores a TD or Safety they win. If the first team doesn't score a touchdown it goes to the next team that scores any points is declared the winner.

Currently at the NFL Owners Meetings in West Palm Beach, Florida the topic dujour is the overtime seassion. Who can blame this as being an interest after we just witnessed multiple games in this past January's playoff games that went into the extra session and a few more that almost went there. The elephant in the room though is the Buffalo Bills at the Kansas City Chiefs AFC Divisional Game that may go down in history as one of the most outstanding and exciting games that have ever been played on the gridiron.

There was twenty-five points scored in a matter of just two minutes near the end of this Chiefs-Bills classic. Here is the abridged version of the end of the game in case you forgot:

Scoreboard: Chiefs 26, Bills 22

1:54 in the 4th quarter Buffalo scord after a 7:01 drive, 17 playes in all, in a dramatic fourth-down and 13-yards to go touchdown pass from Bills QB Josh Allen to wide-receiver Gabriel Davis. It is the first Buffalo lead since the 1st quarter!

Scoreboard: Bills 29, Chiefs 26

1:02 left on the clock, Kansas City strikes as Quarterback Patrick Mahomes finds speedster Tyreek Hill on 64-yard touchdown toss to complete a five-play, 75-yard drive in 52 seconds.

Scoreboard: Chiefs 33, Bills 29

With just 13 ticks left on the clock, Allen finds Davis to cap off a 5 play , 75 yard drive. It sure fefels like game over. But Wait there's more!

Scoreboard: Bills 36, Chiefs 33

With 0:00 on the clock, The Chiefs get within range for Kicker Harrison Butker to nail a 49 yard FG to tie the game.

In overtime the Chiefs got the ball, went on a torrid 75 yard drive and scored a touchdown not allowing Josh Allen and the Bills offense to even see the field in the extra stanza.

New in 2021

Starting in the 2021 season, the NCAA brass approved a change to overtime rules. Teams will be required to run a 2-point conversion play after a touchdown when a game reaches a second overtime period. Previously, a 2-point attempt was required after the third overtime period.
Also new in 2021,  was that if the game reaches a third overtime, teams will run alternating 2-point plays, instead of starting another drive at the opponent’s 25-yard line. This is a change from the previous rule, which started to use 2-point plays in the fifth overtime period. The Penn State versus Iowa game saw the full application of the new 2021 rules play out.

1995 to 2020

Prior to that starting in the 1995-96 bowl season saw the introduction of overtime rules to postseason games. An overtime session was then added to regular season games beginning the fall of 1996. That was how it went all the way until the 2020 season.

Overtime periods consist, through the first two if necessary, of a two-possession series with each team getting one possession on offense and one on defense. The team on offense will always start at the designated 25-yard line (unless relocated by a penalty). The team on offense can choose to start its possession with the football anywhere on or between the hash marks.

For the high school game, over time sessionas consist of each team having a series first and goal and he opposition's ten yard line. This makes for some high drama in the extra session, but like the NCAA the NFHS has the elemnet of fairness to it as both teams have equal opportunity.

I think the best result for the NFL is to keep all of the current elemnets of the OT rules they currently have save one. Let both teams have a first possession no matter what the first offense in OT does. It allows for a fair and level playing field and treats the fans to what they want to see: Despiration Football.

The banner photo is one I took at Erie Vet's Stadium in 2020.

For more on great overtime games ofall time visit Timothy Brown's Fields of Friendly Strife OT Post

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: NFL Rules, NCAA Rules, NFHS Rules, On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com