Previously, the college football overtime rules were that each team gets the ball at the opponent's 25-yard line. Whether the team fails or succeeds to score, the other team gets a chance to score at the opponent's 25-yard line. If the team scores a touchdown, teams can kick the extra point for the first two overtimes. If the game is still tied after the 2nd overtime, starting with the 3rd overtime and beyond, teams scoring touchdowns must go for two. Now, here is where the new rule comes in:
Starting with the 5th overtime, teams will only go for two-point tries at their opponent's 3-yard line and each team only gets one attempt per period. If one team succeeds the 2-point conversion, the other team must succeed the 2-point conversion to extend the game. If both succeed or fail the 2-point conversion, then the game continues until one team successfully converts two points and the other team fails to convert two points.
Virginia Tech (VT) and North Carolina (UNC) are the first teams to try the new overtime rules. So, how did that game go down? At the end of regulation, the game was tied at 31. Here is the breakdown of each overtime period:
1st OT: VT got the ball first, then UNC; UNC and VT both convert on FG tries, sending the game to OT #2
2nd OT: UNC gets the ball first, then VT; UNC and VT both scored touchdowns and successfully converted extra points, sending the game to OT #3
3rd OT: VT gets the ball first, then UNC; UNC and VT both failed to score points, via missed FGs, extending the game to OT #4
4th OT: UNC gets the ball first, then VT; UNC and VT both again failed to score points, via missed FGs, extending the game to OT #5
5th OT: Starting with OT #5, UNC and VT both only get one attempt to get the two-point conversion; VT gets to try first, then UNC; both failed to get the two-point conversion, entering OT #6
6th OT: UNC gets the ball first, but fails on the two-point conversion; VT gets the ball and succeeds the two-point try
Final Score: VT 43, UNC 41 in 6OT
The change to the overtime rules was in wake of the 7OT game last year with LSU vs Texas A&M at College Station, where Texas A&M won that game 74-72. This change in overtime rules was one of the ways to keep players safe, along with changes to penalize targeting and blind-side blocks.
Some Links Here:
New OT Rules/NCAA Football Rules: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/04/23/ncaa-approves-changes-c...
https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/college-football-overtime-rules...
UNC-VT Game Here: https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401112489
