Last night Garrett Hartley, the rookie kicker for the New Orleans Saints, sent his team to their first ever Super Bowl by kicking a game winning field goal from 40 yards out. He is a hero of course to Saints fans, but to many who think the NFL’s method of deciding a game in overtime is flawed, Hartley is just the most recent example why.
The Solution To The NFL’s Overtime Problem: No More Kicking
↵We all know that there is an advantage to starting with the ball in overtime, first to score wins, and there is no guarantee that the kicking team will have a chance. Since the rule was instituted the team that won the toss has won the game 56% of the time. Why? Because kickers like Hartley make the task a lot easier for the first offense. Get the ball with in 50 yards, and its game over.
↵My solution? Keep the sudden death rule but ban field goals. That way it’s the first team to score a touchdown that wins the game, not the first team inside the 40 yard line.
↵No, it’s not completely fair, but I would guess that the odds would not favor the coin toss winner anywhere near as much as the current system.
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