“NFL Changes Overtime Rules for Playoffs”

 Fans of the NFL, who have been waiting patiently for the 2010 season to begin, were recently given something new to talk about around the water cooler. Amidst all the madness of March basketball, the NFL made headlines of its own.

On Tuesday, March 23, NFL owners voted to make a major change to the playoff overtime rules. In recent years, almost 60 percent of the teams that won the overtime coin toss also won the game. Owners felt that a change needed to be made to give both teams a fair chance to win the game.

There will still be the usual coin toss to determine which team receives the ball first. If the team that receives the ball first scores a touchdown, the game is over and that team has won. But, under the new rules, if the team scores only a field goal, then the opposing team gets a possession and a chance to score. If the opposing team scores a touchdown, they win and the game is over. But if they too score only a field goal, then the rules revert to sudden death. Whichever team scores next wins.

The new rule passed with a vote of 28-4. Cincinnati, Buffalo, Minnesota, and Baltimore voted against the ruling. The new rules are in place to be a permanent change. At the next meetings in May, owners will discuss whether or not to extend the rules to the regular season. 

According to NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell, there is "a strong consensus for expanding [the new overtime rules] into regular season."

ESPN.com senior writer Gene Wojciechowski feels that the NFL did not go far enough with the new ruling. “It was nice of the NFL owners to ditch the prehistoric [overtime] policy . . . but where the owners screwed up was by confining the new system to the postseason,” he said in an article written for ESPN.

The NFL also passed additional safety regulations during the annual meetings.

Under the new regulations, if a player carrying the ball loses his helmet during the play, whistles will blow the play dead, and the ball will be placed where the player lost his helmet. This rule is already in effect in the collegiate level.

Another change was made to the rules that protect defenseless players from being hit in the head or neck by other players tackling with their helmet, forearm, or shoulder. Previously the rule only applied to receivers, but the new rule will protect all players.

Umpires were also helped by new safety regulations. Instead of standing near the linebackers, their new position will be in the offensive backfield. This should prevent them from being run over by a pursuing linebacker.

Fans will have to wait a few more months to see how these new rules will help or hinder their favorite teams.