NFL owner gives surprising take on potential overtime rule change

Although New York Giants co-owner John Mara would like to see the NFL change its overtime rule, he isn’t counting on it. After it was reported Friday the league was considering two proposals to change the rules, Mara spoke with ESPN and said he is “not confident” it will receive the necessary 24 votes from team owners.

The first of the two proposals under consideration would make it mandatory for each team to receive one possession in the overtime period before moving on to sudden death. The second would require one possession for each team unless the team that receives the first possession scores both a touchdown and two-point conversion. That is not too far off from the current rule, which allows teams to win on the first possession if they score a touchdown.

NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said that he sees “momentum” for changing the overtime rules, but also expressed doubt about receiving the required votes.

“I think my history on this rule tells me that 24 votes is not easy to get,” McKay said. “But I do think the statistics absolutely warrant an examination of whether overtime rules need to be further modified.”

McKay told ESPN that several owners are in favor of the rule change, but for postseason games only. That includes Mara. As of 2010, seven of 12 overtime playoff games have been won on the first possession of the extra period. Additionally, the team that won the coin toss claimed victory in the game 10 out of 12 times.

The NFL’s overtime rules have come under scrutiny many times in the past few years, most recently during an AFC divisional round playoff game between Buffalo and Kansas City this past season. That contest ended with an offensive showcase that saw both teams combine for 17 points over the final two minutes of regulation. After the Chiefs kicked a field goal to send the game into overtime, they won the coin toss and scored on the first possession. To many, it seemed unfair that Josh Allen and the Bills never got a chance to answer, especially on such a big stage.

Owners are set to gather this week for their annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. In addition to the overtime rules, they will also vote on tweaking the setup zone on kickoff returns, increasing the likelihood of onside kick recoveries.