Don't forget, new Overtime rules for Playoffs

[A.E]

With 2011 playoffs, overtime rules change

The first non-sudden death overtime in NFL history could be coming this weekend.

The league’s new postseason overtime rules are now in effect, meaning a field goal on the first possession of overtime doesn’t end the game. Instead, if the team receiving the overtime kickoff kicks a field goal on the first drive, the other team would have a chance to either tie the game with a field goal (at which point it would be sudden death from there) or win the game with a touchdown. A touchdown or safety at any point in overtime would win the game.

So will the new rule make teams more or less likely to play for overtime? And could it make teams decide to kick, rather than receive, at the start of overtime?

We won’t really know until we see playoff overtime, but Saints coach Sean Payton said today that it could make him handle late-game strategy differently.

“I think you’ll pay attention to how the game is progressing,” Payton said. “How the first four quarters have gone would predicate your decision on how you would handle it.”

So we’ll have to wait and see whether it makes a difference if one of the 11 postseason games ends with the new and (the league hopes) improved overtime.

- PFT

Glad I caught this write it...totally forgot about the change.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

Wow, I completely forgot about this change for the playoffs. I'm glad you brought it up, I'm sure a lot of people forgot.

 

[RipCity32]

I too did forget. Wonder if we get to see this at some point.

 

[Falcons11497]

This is where the word "opportunity" comes in. If I am the kicking team and I kick the ball to you, that is your opportunity.

If you fail to recover the onside kick or if you muff the kick and the kicking team recovers, that is considered your opportunity. Therefore, in your scenario the fact that the receiving team had the opportunity to recover that onside kick means that they have had their possession.

If the offense then goes on to kick a field goal on their first possession -- game over.
-Mike Pereira

thats interesting...

also

If you're on defense during the first possession and you force a safety, then the defense wins the game in overtime by virtue of the two points, The team scored upon, the offense, obviously had their possession and you as the defense forced the safety. So your two points win the game and you don't need the possession.