In 2010, I wrote this article:
Fixing NFL Overtime.
At the time NFL overtime was sudden death in both the regular season and the playoffs.
Two months after this post, (coincidence?) the NFL modified the rules. A touchdown won the game, but a field goal on the first posession gave the other team the ball. This was applied for the 2010-11 Playoffs and then for the 2012 regular season.
At this point, NFL overtime was still using the touchdown wins game, field goal on first possession gives other team the ball system.
Two months after this post, (coincidence??) the NFL modified the rules. (Okay but seriously, maybe Goodell is a loyal HC reader. No way to prove he's not!) The new system is that both teams are guaranteed to touch the ball in overtime.
Which brings us to 2026.
I've heard some new suggestions. I've had loyal readers clamoring for my input.
So I thought it was worth revisiting. However, I think it's worth building a proper foundation first. Let's start with what are the criteria we're chasing, which should include the problems we're trying to solve.
THE CRITERIA
1. Minimize the coin-toss advantage. A game shouldn't be decided by a random flip that gives one team a potentially decisive advantage. Ideally, possession order should be determined by a predictable rule or a strategic decision.
2. Involve both offenses and both defenses. A baseball game shouldn't be allowed to end in the top of the 10th. A team shouldn't lose a game without its offense ever touching the ball in overtime.
3. Make the star players decide the game. End on an exciting play. A routine field goal does not count.
4. Overtime should not be a slog. Overtime should be decisive and exciting without dragging on unnecessarily. And let's get rid of ties.
5. Keep it football. Overtime can modify the rules to create a better ending, but it shouldn't abandon the sport itself. Turning the contest into a home run derby or a penalty shootout is too far.
THE OPTIONS
1. Current System: Guaranteed Possession, Then Sudden Death
A coin flip determines which team gets the ball first. Both teams are guaranteed at least one possession, even if the first team scores a touchdown. If the score remains tied after both teams have had the ball, overtime continues under sudden-death rules. Ties are possible in the regular season if the clock runs out.
2. College Overtime From the 40-Yard Line
Use a college-style format, with each team getting an alternating possession starting at the opponent’s 40-yard line. The home team goes second. Teams continue alternating possessions until one outscores the other in a round.
3. College Overtime From the 20-Yard Line, With No Field Goals
Use a college-style format, with each team getting an alternating possession starting at the opponent’s 20-yard line. The home team goes second. Field goals are prohibited, and every touchdown must be followed by a two-point conversion attempt. Teams continue alternating possessions until one outscores the other in a round.
4. Spot and Choose
The visiting team chooses the yard line where overtime begins. The home team then chooses whether to take possession or play defense. From there, overtime is sudden death: the first team to score wins.
5. Secret Auction
Before overtime, each coach secretly submits a yard line where their team is willing to begin its possession. The team choosing the more disadvantageous starting position earns the ball there. Overtime then proceeds under sudden-death rules.
6. Simultaneous Shootout
Both teams put their offenses and defenses on the field at the same time, starting from opposite ends of the field. There are no clocks or downs; the first team to score a touchdown wins. An interception or fumble immediately awards the game to the opposing team, and a ball crossing the midfield boundary backward also results in a loss.
7. Timed Possessions From Midfield
Eliminate the coin flip. The visiting team starts with the ball at midfield and gets a 90-second possession. The teams then alternate possessions from midfield, each with 90 seconds to score. If the score remains tied after a round, they continue with additional rounds until a winner is determined.
8. College Overtime From the 10-Yard Line, With No Field Goals
Use a college-style format, but start each possession at the opponent’s 10-yard line. The home team goes second. Field goals are prohibited, and every touchdown must be followed by a two-point conversion attempt. Teams continue alternating possessions until one outscores the other in a round.
THE EVALUATION
CRITERION 1: MINIMIZE THE COIN-TOSS ADVANTAGE
We've removed the coin flip in every new option. Right away, options 2 through 8 earn a check mark over the current system.
CRITERION 2: INVOLVE BOTH OFFENSES AND BOTH DEFENSES
Options 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 all meet this criterion. Options 4 and 5 do not necessarily guarantee that both offenses and both defenses get involved, since either team could score first and end the game.
To their credit, Options 4 and 5 introduce strategic decisions about field position and whether to play offense or defense. That makes them interesting alternatives, even if they don't fully satisfy this criterion.
It's also worth noting that we've eliminated any format in which an opening-possession touchdown can end the game before the opposing offense gets a chance to respond. That's a deal breaker.
CRITERION 3: MAKE THE STAR PLAYERS DECIDE THE GAME
Options 4 and 5 take a significant hit here. Because both use sudden death, the game could end on a routine field goal rather than an exciting play from a star player. A drive into field-goal range could be all it takes.
Options 3 and 8 get bonus points. By eliminating field goals and requiring two-point conversions after touchdowns, these formats remove kicking from the game.They put the emphasis on scoring touchdowns and making plays when the pressure is highest.
CRITERION 4: OVERTIME SHOULD NOT BE A SLOG
All seven alternatives get a check mark here for eliminating ties, which remain possible under the current regular-season system.
But some formats are more likely than others to drag on. Options 4 and 5 could become a slog if neither team scores quickly under sudden-death rules. Option 7 could also drag on if teams repeatedly fail to score during their 90-second possessions from midfield.
Options 6 and 8 look strongest on this criterion. The simultaneous shootout in Option 6 is designed to produce a quick, decisive finish, while Option 8 starts each possession just 10 yards from the end zone, creating immediate scoring opportunities.
CRITERION 5: KEEP IT FOOTBALL
Initially, I was drawn to Options 4 and 5 because they preserve the strategy and structure of football. Sure, they're a little gimmicky, but they still look and feel like football. In fact, Option 6 is the only one that really departs from what we're used to seeing.
And here's my hot take: I think the simultaneous shootout sounds fantastic on paper. Two offenses and two defenses on the field at the same time, with the game hanging in the balance? That's potentially incredible. But I don't think it would make for a good viewing experience.
Imagine trying to watch two plays unfold simultaneously on the same field. You'd need a split screen, and the action would be chaotic. The crowd couldn't easily follow both plays, and neither could the coaches. Then there are the logistical problems. What happens if a play on one side needs a replay review while the other side's play is still unfolding? You'd almost have to eliminate replay reviews altogether, which might be an acceptable trade-off, but it's a significant one.
I'd love to see the simultaneous shootout tested in a minor league or experimental football setting. But for the NFL, where the viewing experience is ultimately what we're trying to improve, I don't think it works. A format can be exciting in theory and still be a bad product on television.
CONCLUSION
The worst of all the options is the current system. The current system still relies on a coin flip, allows regular-season ties, can drag on, and too often ends with a routine field goal rather than a memorable football play. For all those reasons, it earns the bottom spot among the eight options. C tier.
The B tier is reserved for four options that are interesting but flawed: Secret Auction, Simultaneous Shootout, Timed Possessions From Midfield, and Spot and Choose. Some of these risk turning into a sudden-death slog that ends with a routine field goal, which is exactly what we're trying to avoid. The Simultaneous Shootout has a different problem. As discussed earlier, it would be chaotic and difficult to follow, potentially making for a poor viewing experience. Part of what makes football great is the tension that builds between plays, the anticipation of the next snap, and the way the action unfolds. Putting two live plays on the field at once fundamentally changes that rhythm, and not necessarily for the better.
I used to really think that college, that if the college was doing it from the 25, it made sense that the pros would start at the 40 and have to earn their way into field goal range. However, that is my least favorite of the three starting points. I'm trying to remove kickers from the game, so we end on better plays. And the 40 is too much of a slog. So I'm actually going to move the college overtime from the 40, put that in B tier as well.
The A tier is college overtime from the 20-yard line. I think this has a lot going for it. Compared to starting at the 25, I like that starting at the 20 limits the offense to one potential new set of downs before reaching the end zone. That keeps possessions shorter and the pressure higher.
But the S tier option is college style from the 10. No coin flips. No ties. No field goals. No extra points. No slog drives. Offense and defense. Star players decide the action. All gas, no brakes.
S Tier
College from the 10
A Tier
College from the 20
B Tier
College from the 40
Secret Auction
Spot and Choose
Simulatenous Shootout
Timed Posessions
C Tier
Current System
