My proposal for the NFL overtime procedure
Beginning in the 2012 NFL season, the overtime procedure was modified to give each team the opportunity to possess the ball unless the team with the first possession of the ball scores a touchdown or a defensive scoreboard occurs. One of the biggest concerns is that this system has produced a draw in each of the last three seasons. I have a proposal for an NFL overtime system that eliminates ties and makes this period interesting.
This system is similar to college football overtime in that each team gets to possess the ball in a specific part of the field and the team with the highest score wins after the period. Also, beginning with the third overtime, both teams must seek a two-point conversion after a touchdown. However, my proposed system takes into account the increased range of kickers in the NFL as well as the increased mental abilities of NFL quarterbacks with two key differences.
Possession takes place at the 50-yard line instead of the 20-yard line.
In college football, kickers have a much lower percentage of field goals converted than in the NFL. Therefore, the 20-yard line is not considered chip throw distance for college kickers. However, most kickers in the NFL would make a field goal from the 20-yard line and this would pose a problem for the team that went first in overtime and didn’t score any points or simply scored a field goal. If you put the ball on the 20-yard line and the team with the first possession scored 0 or 3 points, it would be very easy for an NFL kicker on the other team to tie or win the game.. If you place the ball on the 50-yard line, you have to move the ball a certain distance just to get the kicker in range. The other team is not guaranteed victory.. I feel like this adds a more dramatic element to the overtime period.
Each team will have only two minutes to work each period.
A team that has possession of the ball at the 20-yard line with unlimited time does not give the quarterback and the rest of the team the opportunity to show their intelligence and physical ability under pressure. By giving only two minutes from the 50-yard line with only one time-out for each team, overtime periods move faster and force each team to be smarter and more athletic.
Picture it this way, it is your team’s turn in the overtime period and you are down by seven. Your quarterback he doesn’t have all the time in the world to get to the end zone to force the next overtime. The clock ticks with each play and he has to make tough decisions when it comes to finding wide receivers, as well as keeping the clock in mind. He can’t make conversational plays and will likely have to make big throws to gain meaningful yards in a short amount of time.. Big plays light up the crowd and the quarterback has the opportunity to gain much-needed experience in terms of competing under intense pressure.