The League

No Change to Overtime

The NFL's competition committee will not recommend any changes to the sport's overtime format during the annual league meeting next week in Dana Point, Calif., the committee's co-chairman announced today.

Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay said during a conference call with reporters that there was not strong support among the teams or the players for alterations to the overtime system, in which a coin flip determines which club gets possession of the ball initially and the first team to score wins.

"There's nothing we're in a position to propose right now," McKay said.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had said during his annual state of the league news conference two days before the Super Bowl that possible changes to the overtime format would be considered this offseason. Under one proposal, each team would be guaranteed of at least one possession in overtime.

McKay, the co-chairman of the competition committee along with Tennessee Titans Coach Jeff Fisher, said there was concern among committee members that 63 percent of overtime games this past season where won by the team that won the coin flip, and 43 percent of overtime games were won on the opening possession by the team that won the coin flip.

Even so, McKay said, there was no consensus among teams or players about which change or changes should be made. And for the most part, according to McKay, those in the league don't object to the current overtime system.

"We've asked those questions," McKay said. "And the answer we've got is, 'We like the system.' "

The committee will recommend a series of changes, including expanding the categories of plays subject to instant replay review.

According to McKay, the committee will recommend that a play erroneously ruled an incomplete pass instead of a fumble by the officials on the field would be subject to a replay review. The play could be called a fumble and possession could be awarded to the defensive team if it recovered the loose ball on the play, under the proposal.

That would address the officiating mistake made early this past season by referee Ed Hochuli, who erroneously called a fumble by Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler an incomplete pass late in a game against the San Diego Chargers. Since the call was not subject to replay review, the Broncos retained possession and went on to score a touchdown and game-winning two-point conversion.

The NFL previously made down-by-contact calls involving fumbles subject to replay review. This proposal would extend that to plays erroneously called incomplete passes.

The competition committee also is proposing to make a fumble recovery on a ball initially ruled out of bounds subject to replay review.

Other proposals are related to player safety.

One proposal would make it illegal for a defensive player to hit a defenseless receiver in the head with a shoulder or forearm. Helmet-to-helmet hits on a defenseless receiver already are prohibited. This proposal would extend the protection given to the receiver.

Another proposal would penalize helmet-to-helmet contact on a blind-side block by an offensive player.

Others would eliminate the "bunch" formation for a team that's kicking off (players couldn't be bunched toward the middle of the field), and would eliminate having three or more blockers in the "wedge" in front of the returner by the team returning a kickoff.

Another proposal would eliminate a re-kick after a second onside kick that goes out of bounds, something already eliminated at the end of a game.

Any rule changes proposed by the competition committee would have to be approved by at least three-quarters of the team owners. The owners are scheduled to meet Monday through Wednesday in Southern California.

The owners will consider a bylaw proposal that would make a slight change to the way in which the selection order for the NFL draft is determined. Under the proposal, the teams that reach the playoffs would be locked into the 21st through 32nd draft spots.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have revived a reseeding proposal by which a wild-card playoff team with a better record than a division winner would host a postseason game. That proposal received little support last year, however.

The competition committee still is considering a proposal to create a roughly one-week window before free agency in which potential free agents could negotiate with all teams. But that proposal probably won't come to a vote until the May owners' meeting.

The Kansas City Chiefs' proposal from last year to restrict players' hair length has not been revived and is not up for consideration next week.

The owners are to continue discussions about the possibility of extending the regular season to 17 or 18 games per team. But no vote on that issue is to be taken at this meeting. Goodell has said that will be addressed with the players in the upcoming labor negotiations. There also are to be discussions by the owners about the league's operating procedures amid the national economic crisis.

The league plans to announce its featured games for the opening weekend of the regular season as well.

By Mark Maske  |  March 18, 2009; 3:04 PM ET  | Category:  League
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