PALM BEACH, Fla. — The N.F.L.’s 32 golf equipment handed a rule change on Tuesday to make sure that each groups would possess the ball not less than as soon as in additional time of postseason video games. The measure comes months after Kansas Metropolis gained a divisional spherical playoff sport towards the Buffalo Payments, who weren’t given an opportunity to attain in additional time.
The change within the league’s additional time guidelines was their first since 2010, when golf equipment voted to permit groups that scored a landing on the opening possession of additional time in a playoff sport to win. (Earlier than that, the group that scored first in any approach in additional time gained.) The rule, which by its nature gave a bonus to the group that gained the additional time coin toss, was prolonged to the common season in 2012.
Since 2010, there have been 12 postseason additional time video games, and the group that gained the coin toss previous additional time went on to win 10 of these 12 video games. Seven of these 10 wins got here on a first-drive landing.
The sport between Kansas Metropolis and Buffalo in January might need been probably the most dramatic of all such video games. The 2 groups’ high-powered offenses scored a complete of 4 touchdowns within the remaining two minutes of regulation, and Kansas Metropolis gained, 42-36, by scoring a landing on the primary possession of additional time.
Within the aftermath, commentators, followers and soccer executives lamented that viewers didn’t get to see the Payments and quarterback Josh Allen attempt to rating in additional time, too, a furor that catalyzed the league to undertake the brand new rule.
“There must be the most recent instance for change, and that was the final straw that now, hey, we have to transfer ahead and do that,” mentioned Payments Coach Sean McDermott, who referred to as the rule change “bittersweet.” “It’s the fitting factor for the sport.”
Each groups will now be assured not less than one possession, whatever the clock. If each groups rating a landing on their opening drives, then the group that scores subsequent wins.
The proposal for the rule change, which was made by employees members of the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, would have affected each the 2021 common season and postseason. McDermott mentioned there was sturdy assist for making this modification just for the postseason, explaining, “That’s the place we have been going to start out.”
The rule change, nevertheless, will prolong video games. Some coaches, together with John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, flagged it as a participant security concern, a cause for limiting it to the postseason, when groups’ seasons are on the road.
Kansas Metropolis proposed additional time adjustments after the 2018 season that might have given each groups a possession, after it misplaced the A.F.C. championship sport to the New England Patriots, who scored on a first-drive landing.
McDermott mentioned the Payments’ playoff sport towards Kansas Metropolis was cited a number of instances within the assembly as groups mentioned the rule change.
“It’s probably the best 20 to half-hour of soccer that I’ve ever seen,” mentioned Wealthy McKay, the Atlanta Falcons’ president and the chairman of the N.F.L.’s competitors committee. “And to assume it ended that approach positively introduced up the thought of, hey, does that work for everyone?”
