With a vote of 28-4, the NFL Owners have decided to change the overtime rule in the playoffs.
The team that wins the coin flip now must score a touchdown to win the game immediately. By kicking a field goal, the coin flip winner would have to give the ball back to the opposing team who could win the game with a touchdown or kick a field goal to tie the game. Once each team has possession the overtime would go back to the original sudden death format.
There are a few intricacies to the rule as well. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel lists them on the JS Online Packer Blog which you can read by clicking the link.
The Packers reportedly voted in favor of the change. The Minnesota Vikings were one of the four teams that voted the new rule down. That comes as a surprise to many considering the Vikings lost in overtime in the NFC Championship by a field goal without touching the football.
The rule change is for the playoffs only though the NFL has not ruled out revisiting the issue in the regular season in the future.
Do not understand this change. I think the sudden death rule makes no sense for a professional sport of any kind much less football, but to make a change doesnt seem to have much thought behind it. Even with this change, the college overtime is the ultimate in sports overtime. Equality and excitement is what it is all about, and they own both. NFL needs to get their act together and get the picture.