Los Angeles (AFP) - The NFL has changed its much-maligned overtime rules for playoff games to ensure each team will have at least one possession, the league confirmed on Tuesday.
A statement from the NFL said a proposal submitted by the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles to tweak the rule had been approved at the league's owners meeting in Palm Beach, Florida.
The decision means that from now on in post-season games, each team will have at least one possession at the start of overtime.
If the scores remain level after that possession, overtime will switch to sudden death.
Under the previous rules, the team receiving the kickoff in overtime could win the game if they scored a touchdown on their first possession.
The fairness of that rule came under scrutiny last season after the Kansas City Chiefs' electrifying 42-36 playoff win against the Buffalo Bills.
That epic encounter came to an abrupt end when the Chiefs scored a touchdown with the opening possession in overtime to ice the game.
Several former players said the ending of the Chiefs-Bills game showed it was time to rethink the overtime rules.
"The overtime rules stink.Both offenses should have a chance to compete," said Torrey Smith, the former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver.
It was the latest example of the rule attracting controversy.
In 2019, the Chiefs were on the receiving end of the sudden death rules when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots scored a touchdown on the first drive of overtime to win the AFC Championship and reach the Super Bowl.
Two years earlier, the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl by virtue of the same rule -- scoring a touchdown on the first drive of overtime to win the game 34-28.
