NFL owners on Tuesday approved changing the length of overtime from 15 minutes to 10, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported.
The move, which happened at the owners’ meeting in Chicago, was largely expected after the issue was discussed at length in March at the NFL’s annual meetings in Phoenix.
The @NFL has passed a rule change moving overtime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, per league official. Expected but important.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 23, 2017
The switch is largely seen as a safety measure, trying to eliminate the amount of extra time players are exposed to. There are concerns, however, the shortening of overtime could result in more ties.
This isn’t the first time the NFL has tweaked overtime rules. In 2012, the league changed it so both teams would get a possession in overtime unless the team who had the ball first scored a touchdown.
At the owners’ meetings, the NFL also approved teams now being able to take two players off injured reserve and incorporate them back into the roster once healthy.
Before, teams could only designate one player to be removed off injured reserve, which allows teams to store players who are hurt without taking up a roster spot.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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