Report: NFL Competition Committee Has 'Some Sentiment' for Modifying Playoff OT Rules

The overtime structure of the National Football League became a hot topic after the playoffs.

According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, there is at least some sentiment within the NFL Competition Committee for changing overtime for the playoffs to ensure that each team gets one possession.

Even if the Competition Committee doesn't make its own recommendations for change, individual teams can propose rule changes and the overtime rules are likely to be discussed.

The chairman of that committee, Rich McKay, told Maske that there would be a team or two that would suggest a rule change.

McKay said that he expected some teams to make proposals for overtime changes that would be specific to the playoffs, while other teams would try to make the changes for the regular season.

Both teams are not guaranteed to have the ball in overtime. The game ends if the team that gets the kick scores a touchdown on the first drive of overtime. The next team will win if a touchdown is not scored on the first drive.

The rules became a pain point for many fans during the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. After a game that was widely regarded as one of the best in NFL history ended in a 36-36 tie, the Chiefs won the coin toss, received the ball and scored a touchdown to end the game without Josh Allen and the Bills offense ever taking the field.

Proponents of the current system argued that the game was decided by the coin toss because the teams combined to score six straight times. Both teams should have at least one possession in overtime.

Those who have defended the current system have argued that defense is a part of the game, and that if it can't get one stop, it doesn't deserve to win. The argument rests on shaky ground in a league that has become more focused on offense.

Both teams would have problems if they got an overtime possession. Would the game end in sudden death if the score was still tied after those two possessions? The current system favors the team that won the coin toss, but with less of an advantage.

The Baltimore Ravens proposed a system last year where one team would choose where to spot the ball and the other team would choose whether they wanted to be on offense or defense. If the spot was chosen as the offense's own 20-yard line, the other team would choose whether to be on offense or defense from there and the game would be sudden death.