Rethinking The Overtime Tie Rule In The NFL

By Jordan Long

The Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks played to a 6-6 tie on Sunday Night Football. Seattle forced overtime as kicker Stephen Hauschka made a 40-yard field goal with 4:00 left to go in regulation. Both teams exchanged field goals in overtime. With 3:26 left, Arizona Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro missed a 24-yard field goal, banging it into the upright. Seattle followed suit with a miss from 28 yards with 7 seconds left. Arizona tried a Hail Mary pass that was knocked away and the game ended in the tie.

This is the 4^th tie since the modified overtime rules were added in March of 2012 to let the game continue if the receiving team in overtime scores a field goal, giving the opposing team a chance to either win or tie the game. After that it is sudden death if still tied with any score winning the game. If the receiving team scores a touchdown the game is over.

The Rams, who were in St. Louis at the time, tied the San Francisco 49ers 24-24 in week 10 in 2012. 2013 the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers ended at 26-26.   The last one before Sunday’s game was 2014 between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers, which was 37-37.

I don’t understand why the NFL allows ties.   A tie doesn’t feel complete because there isn’t a winner.  Changing the overtime tie wouldn’t be that difficult by adding another 15:00 minutes on the clock, basically playing another quarter. Then whoever scores first wins.   At least this way we would have a winner.

I know ties are rare in the NFL, but the NFL needs to relook at the overtime rules. These ties could decide who goes to the playoffs. Missing out on the playoffs because of a tie seems unjust. Hopefully the NFL will take a long hard look and change the rule for ties in overtime.

How should the NFL get rid of ties?