The Writers

Roy Cummings

Ira Kaufman

 @TBO_Buccaneers
 TBO Buccaneers
 Roy Cummings
 Anwar Richardson
 Ira Kaufman
 Ask a question

More Links:

• Roster
• Schedule
• Statistics
• Email Updates

Most Recent Entries

• Whitney: Tampa will always love you
• Mackerel starting to show near beaches
• Linsanity leads to Lin-credibly inflated prices
• Bucs blocked again in search for staff assistant
• Super Bowl: The Greatest Show in the World
• Hillsborough’s Sherit lands offers from Oklahoma, Ole Miss
• Mays is first Topps Prime 9 redemption card for 2012
• Rays accepting applications for the Community Fund Grant Program
• Gaither’s Stanger ranked tops in his class by Golfweek Magazine
• Former Shorecrest football coach Hayford among 34 applying for Brandon job
• Jesuit QB Tommy Eveld accepts USF walk-on offer, joins brother
• USF at Boise State in 2012?
• Panini Playoff football is no longer a secret
• 2 baseball players make commitments
• State cross country meet leaving Little Everglades

More

• Bucs Report -Tribune staff
• Rays Report - Roger Mooney
• Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
• Bulls Report
• Gators Report - Tribune staff
• Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
• Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
• The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
• Storm Report - Nick Williams
• Prep Report - Football
• Prep Report - Hillsborough
• Prep Report - Pasco
• NFL Draft Report
• Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
• Prep Report - Region
• Grapefruit Report - Spring Training
• Boxing Report - Eddie Daniels
• FC Tampa Bay soccer - Tribune Staff
• Youth Sports Report
• Scenes From College Football
• Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
• Bucified Bert Blog
• BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
• Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
• Highlands Sports

Monthly Archives

• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011

OT Rules Don’t Need Overhaul

Posted Mar 3, 2010 by Ira Kaufman

Updated Mar 3, 2010 at 10:14 AM

By IRA KAUFMAN
TAMPA—Let’s not overthink this thing.

An analysis of overtime games reveals that NFL teams which win the coin toss are now coming out on top more than 60 percent of the time. Yes, that’s a concern, but some of the remedies under consideration are worse than the problem.

The league doesn’t need to institute complicated rule changes involving alternate possessions, depending on whether a team that marches down the field immediately in OT kicks a FG or scores a TD.

The aim should be to tinker as little as possible in an effort to keep the same basic rules in force during regulation play and OT.

The simplest solution is to move the OT kickoff up five yards to the 35, insuring more touchbacks.

Coin-flip winners who know they will start out at their own 20 may think twice about whether to receive or kick off, especially if weather is a major factor. If you can choose a stiff 20-mph wind at your back, why not kick off and make a team drive at least 50 yards before entering reasonable FG range?

And if your opponent misses on a 47-yard try, you assume possession at your own 37.

With the OT kickoff now at the 30, virtually every team that wins the coin toss elects to receive, envisioning a good kick return.

This is not rocket science. In this case, less is more.

If the NFL is sincere about minimizing the impact of the coin toss on the outcome of OT games, move up the spot of the kickoff, increase strategy and give teams something to think about besides calling heads or tails.