PALM BEACH, Fla. – Overtime is coming to the NFL.
But for now, only in the postseason.
NFL owners on Tuesday approved a modified proposal for overtime that will guarantee each team a possession. The vote took place at the annual league meetings here at The Breakers.
The rule for regular-season games, which allows the team with the first possession to win if it scores a touchdown, will remain unchanged.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel, a member of the NFL's Competition Committee, said on Tuesday the change is a nice start.
"We want to start with the postseason," Vrabel said. "Those numbers are pretty strong for the team that takes possession of the football first, whether that's on the first drive or the third drive.
"So, it's a very good step to try and allow each of these offenses, especially these quarterbacks that we are seeing, allow them to have an impact on the football game."
Leading up to this week's meetings, Vrabel and the Titans proposed a tweak that would require mandatory possession for each team unless the team that has the first possession scores a touchdown and converts a successful two-point attempt.
While the competition committee did not endorse that proposal, competition committee chairman Rich McKay said it was discussed, along with other proposals.
Since the previous playoff format was implemented back in 2010, seven of 12 overtime games have been won on the opening possession. Ten of those 12 were won by the team that won the coin toss.
"I was, unfortunately like a lot of other teams, watching that Buffalo-Kansas City (playoff) game as a fan, and saw the ending and felt like maybe our fans would have wanted to see (Bills QB) Josh Allen have an opportunity," Vrabel said of the team's proposal. "I am just trying to do what is best for the game."
Vrabel said he enjoyed being a part of the competition committee process.
"I've enjoyed it," Vrabel said. "There's certain areas where I feel like I can add some input, as it relates to clarifications on officiating, as we talk about player safety. And there are some other areas where maybe I don't have as much as input because I am not as familiar with it.
"But it's been a really good experience. It's been very inclusive and a lot of different perspectives on that committee."
Here's a look at the "Approved 2022 Playing Rules and Resolutions" from the NFL owners meetings:
NFL clubs adopted the following rules change and resolution proposals today at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida:
Approved 2022 Playing Rules Summary
- By Indianapolis and Philadelphia; amends Rule 16, to allow both teams an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime in the postseason.
- By Competition Committee; makes permanent the free kick formation change implemented during the 2021 season that established a maximum number of players in the setup zone.
Approved 2022 Resolutions Summary
G-1. By Baltimore, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Tampa Bay; amends the Anti-Tampering Policy, in regard to Secondary Football Executive positions, to allow the employer club the choice to retain its player personnel staff through the Annual Selection Meeting. After the selection meeting through June 30, the employer club is required to grant permission for another club to interview and hire a non-high-level executive or non-secondary football executive for a secondary football executive position.
