Chiefs propose rule changes to overtime, review of personal fouls
Two of the nine rule changes for the upcoming year proposed by NFL teams were made by the Chiefs.
The first, hinted at by general manager Brett Veach at the NFL Scouting Combine, is an amendment to current NFL overtime rules.
Under the proposed amendment to Rule 16, each team would possess the ball at least once in overtime, even if the first team scores a touchdown. Overtime would also be eliminated in the preseason.
And the coin toss would be eliminated from overtime. Instead, the team that won the initial coin toss would choose whether to kick or receive or which goal to defend.
”Everybody wants a chance for guys to do what they do,” Veach said on PFT Live. “I don’t really see the downside of having that — especially when you have a player like Patrick Mahomes. It would have been a lot of fun, and I think a lot of people — if they weren’t already tuned in for a great game — they certainly wouldn’t have wanted to miss that overtime. It would have been fun. But again, that’s something the league will work out. Those guys are smarter than me, so they’ll figure out what the best plan of attack is.”
The Chiefs, of course, lost the AFC Championship Game when they lost the coin toss and the Patriots scored a touchdown on their first possession of overtime. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense never got a chance to score.
The Chiefs also proposed an amendment to Rule 15, Section 2, to add review of personal fouls (called or not called on the field) as plays subject to coaches’ challenge in the instant replay system.
NFL owners will consider the rule changes when league meetings open in Phoenix on March 24.
Fellow AFC West team Denver made three proposals, including one that would provide an alternative to the onside kick that would allow a trailing team an opportunity to maintain possession of the ball after scoring.
Denver also proposed making all fourth down plays spotted short of the line to be subject to automatic review in the instant replay system and all try attempts to be subject to automatic review.
Other club rule proposals can be found here.
This story was originally published March 8, 2019 at 9:26 PM with the headline "Chiefs propose rule changes to overtime, review of personal fouls."