Always wondered...why DID the NFL get rid of "sudden-death" overtime?

[Ken Burch]

Am I right in thinking the change to the overtime format they have now was meant to reduce the number of upsets and guarantee the playoffs mainly include the teams the league management wants to see there?

Or was there some other reason?

Always though the game was badly harmed by the change.

[LisaM]

1. Because the odds of the team that won the coin toss winning the game

Were too high. Teams basically just had to get into field goal range. I think the modified sudden death is better. A coin toss shouldn't determine the outcome.

[PJMcK]

11. "A coin toss shouldn't determine the outcome."

And a random drawing shouldn't determine an election.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141952087

[mr_lebowski]

2. Because there was too much statistical correlation between 'winning the toss' and

winning the game.

I forget what the % was but they decades worth of data by the time they changed the rules to a system that would sharply reduce the 'influence' of a random event like a single coin toss. I think was like 55% of the time the team that won the toss won the game, and the stats showed conclusively it was an unearned advantage.

Also, there is still 'sudden death', just not via a field goal by the team that won the toss. They have to get a TD otherwise opponent gets one drive to 'answer' that FG (or get a td and win) in which case it's back to a tie, and the first score of any kind after THAT ... wins the game. Its much more fair, now, reall.

College's system OTOH is quite different. But they changed their rules first and the fact that many liked their change I think prompted the NFL to make their own similar but different change to reduce the impact of 'pure chance'.

[JonLP24]

8. It was less than that if you went by first possession

More often than not teams didn't score on the first possession but all they had to do was move the kick forward which they later did for player safety but also leads to average starting field possession but not anymore with h touchbacks to the 25 yard line. They didn't have to screw it up.

[mr_lebowski]

9. I don't really get what you're trying to say ...

The stats were established over many years, using legitimate statistical methods ... the evidence absolutely bore out a positive level of correlation between 'winning the toss' and 'winning the game'. And they didn't 'want that'. It's really that simple. You say it's 'screwing it up', but in reality WHATEVER rules for OT were constructed, all they ever were was some arbitrary designation of 'how it's best done'.

If the league felt (and I happen to agree) that theyd didn't want a system in place that favored the winner of what was essentially a completely random occurrence (result of a coin flip) as opposed to letting the play on the field decide, they were well within their rights to change the system.

Bottom-line, there's no 'absolute right' way to 'run the overtime'.

But optimally, you'd want it to be done FAIRLY ... and the numbers established by the old system PROVED ... it was 'not fair' ... unless you actually wanted the odds to favor the winner of a friggin' coin toss.

Statistics actually don't lie, at least not when interpreted properly ... and in this case, I believe they were.

I actually think the rules now are EXACTLY ... how they should be. And I bet once we have 20 years of stats on the subject, we'll find that the trend marches closer to 50% wrt the coin flip, vs the number it was at before, which I don't know offhand, but whatever it is, I know it is a statistically significant situation, wherein there's an advantage given to the team that wins the toss. No good comes from rules that set up that situation, that's why they changed it.

[JonLP24]

10. I'm on a phone so I can't type a lot

The years prior it was close to 50-50 I have seen the stats the Cardinals got a defensive TD to win a game in that same post season but it was misleading because teams that won the toss punted got the ball back and won the game were included in that stat. I went into detail of all the games that went into OT in 2009 in the sports forum in 2009.

I'm on a phone and I can't go into detail the ways they have screwed it up even further with 10 minutes a lot more tie games 3-3 and even more with 10 minutes it has gotten ridiculous. All they had to do was move the kickoff up (which they later did) to decrease average starting field position but that is negated by making touchbacks 25 yard line. So many things are changed the game is becoming unrecognizable

[pangaia]

3. What does NFL mean?

🤣

Joke , Ken. JOKE.

[Ken Burch]

6. Ok, I get that it's a joke.

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make it telling it here.

I'm just asking a question I've been casually wondering about for awhile.

[pangaia]

12. Ken. I'm on your side..always..

[Ken Burch]

13. Fine. Run along.

This is just a football thread.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I attended a college football game about a decade ago.

Only the second time I'd ever been to won. It went into overtime, and I was utterly fascinated how it worked, and found it vastly more exciting than the NFL version.

[Marcuse]

5. IMO Tie games should continue into the fifth quarter until someone scores.

Same down/distance and exchange end zones.

[JonLP24]

7. Brett Farce didn't get the ball in OT

Next year rule was changed.