SEN‘s Joel Caine has endorsed the NFL’s reformed overtime rules for the post-season and suggested that the NRL should adapt the league’s rule for retaining field position at the end of a quarter.
As currently slated, NRL games that are level at the end of 80 minutes will be decided by two five-minute periods, with golden point rules applying.
At the end of the first and third quarters in the NFL, the play resumes where the ball was at the end of the previous quarter.
With the NFL rule having plenty of success over the years, Caine implored the NRL to implement this rule and explore alternatives to help teams in golden points.
“This is my proposed rule change… In the NFL, after the first quarter or the third quarter, they maintain the field position of where the ball is at,” Caine said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“I’ve spoken to Freddy (Brad Fittler) about this, in the golden point in the NRL, it’s five minutes each way, what we do is, we kick off and it takes three or four minutes to build ascendency and field position.
“Then at the end of the five-minute period, guess what we do? When a team is just starting to win ascendency, we go back to the bloody kick-off.
“So, why don’t we do what they do in the NFL and just keep the game and the flow of the game in the field position, yes have your break for five minutes but keep the ball and your tackle where it is.”
SEN‘s Bryan Fletcher admitted he would accept the rule change only if it was used exclusively during the NRL finals.
The NRL has kept the same rules for extra time for the 2023 season but can change the laws in anticipation of the 2024 season.
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