NFL: Dubious loophole in new OT rules could see kicking team win with just a field goal

The NFL's latest overtime rule change will allow the kicking team to win with just a field goal on the first possession. As per NFL.com writer Nick Shook, the rule will apply in the postseason and received nearly unanimous support from NFL owners:

The league's owners approved a change to overtime rules on Tuesday that will ensure both teams will receive a possession in overtime, the NFL announced. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport later added that the vote in favor of the rule change was 29-3.

This rule change will only apply to the postseason, where the advantage has statistically been more skewed toward the team winning the overtime coin toss (they're 10-2 in such contests since the previous OT format began in 2010) than in the regular season.

Of course, NFL fans were treated to a self pat on the back from the league's commissioner, Roger Goodell, in a statement following the rule's ratification on March 29:

"We always listen to the fans -- that's an important thing. We're always looking to improve, and I think what really drove the decision was the database, ultimately, and looking at the facts and what's happened. Where we saw that most having an influence, I think, was 12 games in the postseason that have been in overtime, seven of which were won on the first possession. When you see that, that's the type of thing that I think our coaches and everyone looked at -- this is an issue in the postseason we should deal with."

The NFL's OT rules haven't created epic games like the NCAA's has.

During this past college football season, two different games captivated audiences because of the spectacular overtime finishes both games saw from the pair of conference rivals.

Illinois and Penn State played a nine-OT game on October 23 that finished 20-18. The loss eliminated any hope of the Nittany Lions nabbing one of the four College Football Playoff slots. Illinois played the spoiler role in Happy Valley to perfection and showed why it's fun to cheer for a college football team that isn't even eligibile for a conference championship.

On November 27, Alabama bested Auburn in college football's most-watched game of the past two seasons in a four-OT thriller. The Tigers almost ended Alabama's CFP hopes themselves and would have upset the one-loss Tide to end a three-game losing streak with their backup QB T.J. Finley, who was playing on one leg by the end of the Iron Bowl.

It's been a long time since the NFL had an overtime game receive the same level of notoriety as those two games.

The hope is that this OT rule change will help change that. Sixteen-year NFL veteran and current EVP of NFL Football Operations Troy Vincent believes the rule change will only be a positive.

Maybe it will, and maybe it won't. The NFL has rolled the dice, and now it's time to see where the numbers land.