Overtime Overhaul: How the NFL's New Rules Could Change Game Day Thrills

If there’s one way to know it’s NFL offseason, it’s when teams start beefing over the tush push again. You know, the QB sneak on steroids made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles? The one where Jalen Hurts gets shoved forward like he’s crowd-surfing behind Cam Jurgens? Yeah, that one. It’s so effective it’s practically cheating. At least that’s what the Green Bay Packers felt when they proposed banning it this year.

Spoiler alert: they failed. Again. That’s just another reason to not be a Packers fan…

Courtesy of Lewis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Every spring, NFL owners descend upon Palm Beach, Florida, like the Real Housewives Reunion for billionaires in blazers. There, they hash out the rules, argue about fair play, and flex their team’s latest grievances.

To pass a new rule, you need at least 24 of 32 team owners (that’s a 75% approval rate). And let’s just say... some rules take longer to get through than a Tom Brady retirement announcement.

This year’s headlining change is the overtime overhaul. After years of controversy and heartbreak, we’re looking at you, Josh Allen, the NFL has finally changed the overtime rules to be consistent in both the regular season and the playoffs. Can you hear the sigh of relief from Bills fans, seeing as their QB has never won an overtime game? You thought Bills Mafia was crazy after a regular-time win, but, oof, I don’t know if I want to see them after an overtime win. Maybe that’s why the rule never changed: the league is scared of an unhinged Bills Mafia. Fair.

Courtesy of David Eulitt/Getty Images

Starting this season, both teams will get possession, even if the first team scores a touchdown. That’s right, no more one-possession heartbreaks where QBs don’t even get a shot (justice for 2022 Bills-Chiefs).

According to Sportradar, last season saw 16 overtime games, six of them ending on an opening-drive TD. That’s the most "one-and-done" finishes since 2010 when the rules were last updated. So yeah, this was due.

So, how will this change our game day experience? Well, you may see more two-point conversions. Following the coin toss, the team choosing to receive first may opt to take a two-point lead and a win if they match an opening-drive TD with one of their own, since there might not be time for another possession.

Some other rule shakeups we saw come out of Palm Beach include, touchbacks on kickoffs now starting at the 35-yard line instead of the 30 as well as the introduction of electronic measurement for first downs (finally!!!!) as well as replay officials having more authority to correct clear errors, so refs can finally watch the same game we are…

Courtesy of Steven King/Icon Sportswire

Other not-so-successful proposals include redesigning the onside kick and changing playoff seeding so that wild card teams with better records than division winners are seeded higher.

Courtesy of NFL Operations

In short, the NFL is trying to balance tradition with innovation, keeping the heart-pounding drama, while ditching the outdated stuff that leaves fans (and players) feeling cheated. Whether it’s tech-assisted refs, bold OT calls, or the slow death of the tush push, these changes are all about one thing: more strategy, more fairness, and way more drama.

Edited by Elle Chavis