Could UFL’s Overtime Rule Have Been the Perfect Way to End the Super Bowl LVIII?

The memories of Super Bowl LVIII are still fresh in everyone’s minds as the Kansas City Chiefs claimed victory for the second consecutive year. Despite the game ending in a 19-19 tie, it was the OT that sealed the deal for Kansas, ending in major heartbreak for SanFran.

After the tie, the Niners won the toss and chose to keep the ball, unaware that it would give Patrick Mahomes’ team an advantage over them. Many San Francisco players admitted after the game that they were unaware of the new overtime rules implemented by the NFL before the 2022 season.

According to the new rule, both teams get a chance to score, unless the first team’s possession ends in a defensive score. Until 2021, there was a rule that the first team to score in overtime could win the game.

 

The San Francisco 49ers would have been better off had they defended first after the toss. However, they elected to receive and ended their drive with a field goal. Playing second, Patrick Mahomes came with full force and threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman Jr., which led to a 25-22 victory for the Chiefs.

This mishap became controversial, and the Super Bowl LVIII will always be remembered for this incident. However, such controversy could have been avoided if the NFL had adopted the UFL’s overtime rule, which ensures both teams have equal opportunities to win and make a comeback.

What Is The UFL’s Overtime Rule?

In the UFL, if a game is tied and goes into overtime, then there is a thrilling shootout where teams take turns trying to score from the five-yard line. There is no coin toss or single possession wins, instead it’s a best-of-three shootout.

Each successful conversion will earn two points and if the defense stops the offense or cause a turnover, the play will end right there. This goes on for three rounds, following which the team with most points wins the game. However, by any chance if the game is again tied, single rounds will continue until there is a winner.

In December 2023, two spring football leagues, XFL and USFL, announced their merger, following which the league is now being called the United Football League (UFL). The inaugural season of the UFL started on March 30.

There are currently eight teams in the UFL, with four teams each in the XFL and USFL. The regular season will span ten weeks, leading up to the playoffs scheduled for June 8th. The championship game is set to take place a week later, on June 16th.