INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL and its competition committee are considering adjustments to the league’s regular-season overtime rules to reduce the advantage of a team winning the overtime coin toss.
The most discussed proposal would make the regular-season overtime rules similar to the current postseason rules, allowing a team to still tie. During playoffs, each team has an opportunity to possess the ball during a 15-minute overtime period.
“Overtime is one [topic] that the committee agreed needs to be addressed,” said NFL EVP of Football Operations Troy Vincent.
Last season, teams winning the coin toss in regular-season overtimes won 12 out of 16 games, with only 11.6 plays per overtime, marking the second-lowest in two decades.
In 2017, the NFL adjusted regular-season overtime rules from 15 minutes to 10. Since then, the team winning the coin toss went 67-44-7 (59.7% win rate).
From 2012-2016, when overtime lasted 15 minutes, that team had a more balanced 51.2% win rate.
After the Buffalo-Kansas City playoff game in 2022, NFL owners approved changes to postseason OT rules allowing both teams a chance to possess the football, but this only pertains to the playoffs at present.
Current regular-season OT rules are seen by some in the league as granting disproportionate advantage.
