NFL announced on Tuesday that the overtime rules for playoff games have changed. During the annual league meeting, the NFL owners approved a new rule that allows both teams to have at least one possession during overtime of a playoff game. Per the previous rules, the team that starts overtime with possession can win the game if they score a touchdown.
The rule change was made two months after the Buffalo Bills lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. In that game, the Chiefs scored on the opening drive of overtime, and the Bills lost without having a chance to get the ball. There were some fans who were upset because the game went back-and-forth at the end of the fourth quarter, and they felt it was unfair for the Bills to not have a chance to respond to the Chiefs’ scoring drive.
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“The rules are what they are, and I can’t complain about that ’cause if it was the other way around, we’d be celebrating too,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said while addressing the media after the game, per Bills Wire. “So, it is what it is at this point. We didn’t make enough plays tonight.” Here’s a look at fans reacting to the new NFL rules.
New Rules
One person asked: “Ok, the last rule negates the first one. Both teams will have the opportunity to poseess the ball in OT, except if the team kicking off gets a safety on the opening posession? Why does a safety hold so much power that it could negate the first rule, which needed to change?”
Why?
Another fan said: “So everywhere I look they’re saying they change the NFL playoff overtime rules but what exactly are the f— rules that they changed?”
The Kicker
One fan wrote: “So the 13 seconds of the kc/bills game is why this came into effect? Die hard fin fan here from op my thoughts? The bills needed to play better d. That’s all i have.”
Josh Allen Factor
One person asked: “Okay, so if Mahomes scores, and then Allen scores, and then Mahomes scores again, is it still because of the coin flip? Like this will not stop teams who lose from crying.”
A Look Back
One fan said: “If both teams gain possession and score but the next score wins, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of allowing both teams to have possession? One offense is still at a significant advantage after that.”
Figured out in College
One person wrote: “So if first team scores a touchdown and an extra point, then the other team scores a touchdown then converts a 2-pt conversion, the game is over?This means NO TEAM will ever choose to receive during OT.All the advantages are now on the 2nd to possess the ball.”
One Word
And this fan wrote: “Appreciate the change, def an improvement. But wouldn’t it be cleaner to make a rule saying a full 15 minute OT quarter will be played? Both teams will get the ball in that time and it’ll bring 2 minute drill like play toward the end.”
