The NFL reacted to the drama surrounding the Buffalo Bills last season and changed the overtime rules. They could be used for the first time as early as next weekend

Not only the first playoff games of this NFL season are coming up next weekend.

From the Wild Card Round onwards, a new rule will also take effect, which should ensure more justice when the games go into overtime.

According to this rule, it will no longer be possible to win the game after a coin toss with a touchdown without the opponent even having the chance to equalise.

This is what the rules have said so far. Buffalo Bills fans remember it with horror.

While it remains the same in the regular season, the 32 owners of NFL teams agreed last spring to reform the overtime rule.

Under the reform, each team has the right to attack once in overtime. If the team that has possession of the ball first ends its drive, the right of attack passes to the opponent. Whoever has scored more points after that has won the game.

Allen drama prompts rule reform

The new rule was largely a reaction by NFL officials to the dramatic ending in last season’s divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.

Damalso, in a thrilling and high-class game, the score was 36:36 at the end of regulation time. A single touchdown in overtime was then enough for Patrick Mahomes’ team. His counterpart Josh Allen had to accept defeat without having a chance to counter the touchdown.

But this game is only one of many that was won by the team that had the ball first.

According to the NFL, twelve playoff games have been decided in overtime since the rule was introduced in 2010. Seven of them were decided right after the first drive. In a total of ten games, the team that had the ball first prevailed in the end.

Will the strategy change with the rule reform?

With the reform, however, the strategy of the teams that win the coin toss could now also change. As “CBS” reports, so far all twelve teams that have won the coin toss have opted for the ball.

Now they might decide against it as well. Because with the certainty of getting the ball in any case, it is quite promising to let the opponent have the first drive. After all, they know exactly how many points they have to score to win.

And if they manage to stop the opponent’s drive with defensive points, such as a safety, they could do without their drive altogether – and still have won.

In the past regular season, by the way, more games than ever before were decided by a difference of six points or less.

So there is a good chance that there will be an overtime in the postseason and that the new rule will be applied immediately.