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The NFL’s overtime system has long been the target of complaints about fairness, because the team that wins the coin flip seems to receive an unfair advantage — the chance to possess the ball and end the game without putting their defense on the field once — merely as a result of 50-50 chance.
Except some UC Santa Cruz researchers have found that the coin flip isn’t even 50-50. The side of the coin facing up when tossed lands anywhere from 51 to 60 percent of the time. Which means that any pro football player in possession of this knowledge can give his team a possible three in five chance of winning an overtime coin toss.
I would propose some sort of overhaul, but instead I’ll just let the soccer fan in me briefly mention that ties may not be awesome, but they’re a lot better than deciding a game based on a ref’s coin flip procedure, especially when that procedure isn’t fair in the first place. Just sayin’.
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The coin flip is totally rigged.
It may or may not be rigged, but here are some proposals that would even things out. If the coin flip winner scores on its first possession, the opposing team would receive the kickoff and also get a chance to score, thereby eliminating “sudden death”. However, if that team fails to score on this possession, then the game is over. Also, disallow field goals in OT. If two teams have battled to a tie, then don’t let a kicker with a big leg be the deciding factor. Teams MUST cross the goal line to win.
by Martin V on Oct 21, 2009 8:06 PM EDT reply actions
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