I feel I need to clarify that despite that the NFL Overtime Rules have been in place for decades, there has been a change implemented before. Although it was a minor change, it demonstrates that when the NFL recognizes there is a problem, they have been willing once before to implement a fairer procedure.
During a 1998 Thanksgiving Day game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions, Jerome Bettis of the Steelers called “tails” while the coin was in the air. However, referee Phil Luckett said Bettis had called “heads” and awarded possession of the ball to the Lions, who went on to score a field goal on their first possession and win the game without the Steelers ever getting the ball back. The NFL has the video of this on their site; it will not allow me to embed it in this post, but I highly recommend watching it as it is so obvious Bettis calls “tails.” Even the commentators know so.
The outrage sparked the NFL to review the incident, and subsequently change their coin toss rules so that the call of “heads” or “tails” would be called before the coin was flipped, and two referees would be present during the toss. The NFL recognized that there was a problem with the current rules and the public outcry at the unfairness, and determined a new method to make it right. Although changing the system for overtime is a far more sweeping change than the so-called “Jerome Bettis rule,” I believe the NFL should once again recognize the need for change in their overtime system and address the issue at hand.
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