NFL followers could possibly witness historical past on Tremendous Bowl Sunday, because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs can grow to be the primary workforce in league historical past to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls.
Final 12 months NFL followers additionally witnessed a primary for the league, and the Chiefs have been proper in the course of proceedings.
A lead change on the ultimate play of the Tremendous Bowl.
Because of new time beyond regulation guidelines for the postseason, carried out for the 2022-2023 season, Tremendous Bowl LVIII was the primary playoff recreation to see these new guidelines put into motion. The San Francisco 49ers started the time beyond regulation interval with possession of the soccer, and kicked a area aim to take a three-point lead. However below the brand new guidelines the Chiefs have been assured a possession, and Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas Metropolis offense down the sector to attain the game-winning landing on the ultimate play of the sport.
With Tremendous Bowl LIX upon us, it’s time to revisit these guidelines simply in case we discover ourselves the place we have been a season in the past, with a Tremendous Bowl advancing to time beyond regulation. And as we discovered final 12 months — thank to the Chiefs — it pays to be ready.
Why did the NFL change the time beyond regulation guidelines for the playoffs?
The AFC Divisional Spherical recreation between the Chiefs and the Buffalo Payments on the finish of the 2021-2022 NFL season thrilled followers in a back-and-forth affair. Josh Allen and the Payments scored a go-ahead landing with simply 13 seconds remaining in regulation, however that was nonetheless sufficient time for Mahomes to get Kansas Metropolis in vary for a area aim to power time beyond regulation.
Regardless of the thrilling end to regulation, the time beyond regulation ending left many followers unsettled.
Kansas Metropolis received the coin toss and went proper down the sector towards an exhausted Payments protection, scoring a landing to advance to the AFC Championship Recreation. Below the time beyond regulation guidelines in place, all Allen and the Payments offense might do was watch.
Within the weeks that adopted, followers clamored for a special time beyond regulation format, and the NFL listened. The league’s homeowners accepted a revised time beyond regulation format, guaranteeing that every workforce would have a possession in time beyond regulation. The brand new format was accepted by a 29-3 vote.
What are the NFL time beyond regulation guidelines for the playoffs?
All playoff video games that advance to time beyond regulation will observe these revised guidelines:
- If a recreation is tied on the finish of regulation, the referee will toss a coin to find out which workforce will possess the ball first in time beyond regulation. The visiting workforce captain will name the toss.
- Each groups could have a possibility to own the soccer. That is the massive change. Beforehand, as we noticed within the 2022 AFC Divisional Spherical recreation between Kansas Metropolis and Buffalo, if the workforce that began with the soccer scored a landing, the sport was over. Below the brand new guidelines, in that state of affairs, Buffalo would get an opportunity to match with a landing of their very own, and in the event that they did, the sport would proceed. As soon as each groups have had possession, the sport then turns into sudden loss of life. As well as, if the workforce that begins with possession scores and kicks the additional level to take a seven-point lead, the second workforce can win with a landing and a two-point conversion.
- If the rating continues to be tied on the finish of an time beyond regulation interval — or if the second workforce’s preliminary possession continues to be in progress — the groups will play one other time beyond regulation interval. Play will proceed no matter what number of time beyond regulation durations are wanted for a winner to be decided.
- There can be a two-minute intermission between every time beyond regulation interval. There won’t be a halftime intermission after the second interval.
- If the sport stays tied after two time beyond regulation durations, there can be a second half. The captain who misplaced the primary time beyond regulation coin toss will both select to own the ball or choose which aim his workforce will defend except the workforce that received the coin toss deferred that selection.
- Every workforce will get three timeouts throughout a half.
- The identical timing guidelines that apply on the finish of the second and fourth regulation durations additionally apply on the finish of a second or fourth time beyond regulation interval.
- If there’s nonetheless no winner on the finish of a fourth time beyond regulation interval, there can be a 3rd coin toss, and play will proceed till a winner is said.
- There aren’t any immediate replay coach’s challenges; all evaluations can be initiated by the replay official.
What occurred in time beyond regulation of Tremendous Bowl LVIII?
Tremendous Bowl LVIII gave followers their first take a look at the brand new playoff time beyond regulation guidelines in motion. Months of debate over how groups would possibly deal with the scenario have been lastly examined.
And lots of have been left questioning if the 49ers have been prepared.
San Francisco received the coin toss, and made the choice to obtain the kickoff, regardless of many theorizing that below the brand new guidelines it made extra sense to defer. With each groups assured a possession, figuring out what it is advisable rating to win the sport provides a aggressive benefit, much like how groups in school need to begin on protection in time beyond regulation, in order that they know what they should do on offense to win.
As an alternative, the 49ers started on offense, and will solely handle a area aim. That opened the door for the Chiefs to win the sport on their assured possession with a landing, which is precisely what they did.
Talking after the sport, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that the workforce had run via the varied situations, and thought by beginning on offense they’d have the benefit if the sport superior to a 3rd time beyond regulation possession, and sudden loss of life.
“None of us have a ton of expertise with it,” Shanahan mentioned. “We went via all of the analytics and talked to these guys. We determined it could be higher getting the ball as a result of if each groups matched and scored, we wished to be those to have an opportunity to go win it.”
The issue? The sport by no means received to that third time beyond regulation.
What to observe in Tremendous Bowl 2025?
The ending of Tremendous Bowl LVIII has given groups one instance of the brand new time beyond regulation guidelines in motion.
As such, you would possibly count on that ought to time beyond regulation come up on this season’s playoffs, groups will need to begin on protection, given how the Tremendous Bowl ended a 12 months in the past.
One state of affairs that has not been examined but? The affect of the two-point conversion. After Tremendous Bowl LVIII Kansas Metropolis indicated that if obligatory, they’d have gone for 2 on the finish of their possession to attempt to win, reasonably than kick an additional level and prolong the sport to a 3rd time beyond regulation possession.
Ought to time beyond regulation come up on this 12 months’s playoffs, will the two-point conversion come into play?
We should wait to seek out out.
