NFL announces change to overtime rules, giving both teams possession in postseason games
CBSN
The National Football League has established new overtime rules for playoff games, following backlash in the 2021 season over the power of the coin toss in determining the victor. During the organization's Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, club owners amended the league's Rule 16 and will now allow both teams "an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime" during postseason games.
Indianapolis and Philadelphia, who introduced the rule, cited "competitive equity" as the reason for the change. Though both teams had asked for the rule to apply to all games, club owners decided to only allow the change during postseason games, CBS Sports reported.
The previous rule stated that if a game went into overtime, the team that won the coin flip got possession of the ball. What followed was sudden death: If the team with possession scored a touchdown, the game was over.
