Bucs HC Todd Bowles makes feelings known on NFL revamping overtime rule: "It gives you a fair chance"
On Tuesday at the NFL's annual meeting, the league voted to approve a new format that will see both teams getting the chance to have the ball in overtime, with it being a 10-minute period.
Before, the overtime rules were similar, but, if a team scored a touchdown at any point in the overtime period, the game would automatically be over. If a team that received the ball first scored a TD, the game was over. That is now in the past.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is in favor of the new overtime rule. He thinks it gives teams a fair chance as both teams would have the opportunity to possess the ball despite the outcome of the first drive. He shared his thoughts on Saturday, as per Pro Football Talk:
“I’m all for both teams getting the football. At least it gives you a chance. It gives you a fair chance. Now, if one team holds the ball long and you’re in the two-minute mode, we’ll see.”
NFL's new overtime rule could cause some controversy
The new overtime rule will be a 10-minute quarter, different to the 15-minute quarters played in regulation. That could cause some controversy. Since the new overtime period allows both teams a chance to get the ball with the quarter being 10 minutes, the team that receives the ball first could try to chew as much time as possible to score.
That would leave the team receiving the ball second much less time (maybe a few minutes), making it harder for them to match the score. While 10 minutes may seem like plenty of time, it can certainly go quickly, especially if a team has a strong running game.
At 15 minutes, it gives both teams plenty of time to score, and could avoid some of the potential messes we could see with the new format. At the same time, the NFL could explore the format at a later time to make it a 15-minute overtime period. But, for now, it is just 10 minutes and clock management could become a key feature in overtime.