Should Football Eliminate The Coin Toss?

[UNTflyer]

The coin toss, in my opinion, offers no advantage to either team. According to the USA Today, college coaches now defer to the 2nd half when they win the coin toss 90% of the time.

And when it comes to overtime in the NFL, the coin toss can often decide the game. I think the rule should be changed where the home team automatically "wins" the non-toss and selects to either receive or defer to the 2nd half. For overtime, the home team automatically gets the ball last, like in baseball. Oh, and the NFL just needs to either adopt college overtime rules, guarantee each team has at least one possession, or play a full 15 minute overtime quarter.

Edited March 14, 2009 by UNTflyer

[Mean Green 93-98]

You didn't have an option "Get rid of overtime." But I opted to play a full quarter--sounds okay now, I'll probably feel differently in a half hour.

As far as the coin toss, if the overtime rules are changed, the coin toss no longer becomes the deciding factor in overtime.

[UNTflyer]

You didn't have an option "Get rid of overtime." But I opted to play a full quarter--sounds okay now, I'll probably feel differently in a half hour.

As far as the coin toss, if the overtime rules are changed, the coin toss no longer becomes the deciding factor in overtime.

Get rid of overtime? Have ties like in soccer?

Well, there is still the opening coin toss. And if they play a full quarter, there would likely be another coin toss for the kickoff unless they adopt the home team rule.

Edited March 14, 2009 by UNTflyer

[eulessismore]

Of course, these are related but different subjects.

Coin toss: It makes a cool looking ceremony, which can be blended with introduction of team captains, and in some cases, honorary coin tossers. Adds to the game day atmosphere, and doesn't really take away from either team.

NFL overtime is ridiculously dependant on the coin toss; the logical, and more exciting alternative is to go to the college overtime rules. There's a precedent for this, as they changed to allow the 2 point after touchdown conversion attempt.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I think the Pros should do either something similar to the college game or play a whole quarter for OT instead of what they have. I do think they should move the college start line to the 35 instead of the 25. It seems to be a little too easy to score (minus our 7 OT game).

As for the coin toss - someone is doing too much thinking. Yes they should keep it.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

-Suppose the coin toss is eliminated....... Who kicks off and how is it decided ????

[UNTflyer]

-Suppose the coin toss is eliminated....... Who kicks off and how is it decided ????

Two options:

1. The home team always receives the opening kickoff.

2. The home team gets to choose to either receive or defer to the 2nd half.

For overtime, the home team would decide to kick or receive the first kick.

[eulessismore]

This thread is starting to bring back bad memories from last year; poor kickoff coverage, poor kickoff returns, and lack of scoring after reaching the opponents 25 to 40 yard line. I never could decide whether I wanted us to kick off or receive.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Get rid of overtime? Have ties like in soccer?

Have ties the way college football could for about 100 years or more.

Yes, it makes regulation more exciting. And it shows what coaches are made of. Down by 3 at the 10 with time left for one more play--what do you do?

The wins that come in overtime, especially the way college football does it, hardly feel like wins. You might as well give the losing team a point, like the NHL does now after a shootout.

Edited March 14, 2009 by Mean Green 93-98

[Will to Win]

heads we do; tails we don't

[NorthTexan95]

I'd say leave the NFL OT alone. You want both teams to have an equal chance to win in OT? If the coin flip winner wins the majority of the time then what's more equal than a coin flip?

Seriously, let's look at some stats I googled. "From the 2000 through 2007 regular seasons, there have been 124 overtime games. In every single game except one (I believe), the team that won the toss elected to receive. And those receiving teams won 60% of the time (and tied once). The dreaded 'lose-the-coin-toss-never-touch-the-ball' scenario happened in 37 out of the 124 OT periods, or about 30% of all overtime games."

Stated another way, in 70% of overtime games since 2000 each team had at least one position. What's the problem with that? The purpose of OT shouldn't be to start all over and play another game (as some college OT's seem to turn into). Both teams had ample opportunity for 60 minutes to win the game and OT is merely an extension of the regular time. If a team loses in OT without touching the ball then that means they failed to win the game in regular time, and either their special teams and/or their defense failed to do their job in OT. However, 30% is an awfully small percentage to be spending so much time discussing or worrying about.

In my opinion the NFL OT is perfectly fair to both teams. If you believe it isn't fair then you need to stop talking about extending OT and start talking about playing every game at netural sites. The advantage for the home team in the NFL is about double that of the advantage of the OT coin flip.

Edited March 14, 2009 by NorthTexan95

[greenminer]

In my opinion the NFL OT is perfectly fair to both teams. If you believe it isn't fair then you need to stop talking about extending OT and start talking about playing every game at netural sites. The advantage for the home team in the NFL is about double that of the advantage of the OT coin flip.

Never seemed fair to me. Just my two cents:

As long as the coin flip is deciding the start of overtime, it should be considered "restarting." Whether you agree with it or not, this effectively discontinues, or rather does not extend, regulation. If the coin flip is there and there is no game clock, both teams need to be given a possession.

If you want an OT that is an extension of regulation - effectively a "score or go home" atmosphere, then the coin toss should be eliminated and play should be continued from where it left off in regulation.

Quick quip: 30% feels a heck of a lot bigger and non-dismissible if you're the team that is part of that percentage. Their counterpoint is that they did everything within the games rules and within regulation to keep the game going, and the winning team was given an unfair, unanswerable advantage at end-of-game.

Personally, I love the college OT rules. The only change I would make (for both college and NFL if it were adopted) would be make the offenses start at the far 35 or 40 yard line and make them play a full damn series. Starting at the opponent's 25 and settling for a field goal should not be an option. Football is a game played on a 100 yard field and they should earn their points.

Edited March 14, 2009 by greenminer

[oldguystudent]

I vote for the sudden death shootout. Put a goalie in the uprights, and start kicking.

[GreenStreet]

I understand if football were to eliminate the coin toss. It is more of a obligation to honor someone associated with the team, than for anything else. If the ref is just going to the center of field to toss coin, then why not give both sides an equal opportunity with the ball.

[Bryan316]

They could do that scramble crap the XFL used:

Replacing the coin toss at the beginning of each game was an event in which one player from each team sought to recover a football 20 yards away in order to determine possession. Both players lined up side-by-side on one of the 30-yard lines, with the ball being placed at the 50-yard line. At the whistle, the two players would run toward the ball and attempt to gain possession; whichever player gained possession first was allowed to choose possession (as if he had won a coin toss in other leagues). The scramble infamously led to the first XFL injury: Orlando Rage free safety Hassan Shamsid-Deen separated his shoulder in the scramble during the XFL's opening weekend. This injury would keep Shamsid-Deen out for the rest of the season.

[forevereagle]

Get rid of overtime? Have ties like in soccer?

The NFL can have ties now, just don't ask Donovan McNabb.

[UNTflyer]

The NFL can have ties now, just don't ask Donovan McNabb.

Sorry. I wasn't aware of the overtime rules.

[gangrene]

-Suppose the coin toss is eliminated....... Who kicks off and how is it decided ????

Eliminate the kicker...P for K is the better way.