Gamblers who wager at the bookmaker won’t see a change in the overtime rules for the regular season but they will see changes in the playoffs. The overtime rule had been changed months ago and there was some thought that the rule could be changed for the regular season as well but those bettors wagering at the Internet bookmaker won’t have to worry about new overtime rules in the regular season.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that the issue of whether to change the overtime rule for the regular season was tabled as the league wants to continue talking to players about the rule. That means that the regular overtime rule of first team to score wins the game will stand. The overtime rule in the playoffs has been changed. If a team that loses the coin toss gives up a field goal on the opening drive they will get the ball with a chance to win or tie the game.
The NFL owners in their meeting awarded the Super Bowl in 2014 to the New York/New Jersey area and they also started talking about the labor negotiations. The labor agreement expires at the end of the 2010 season. It is very possible that part of the new agreement will be a longer regular season schedule. The league is looking at expanding the 16-game regular season to 18 games. It is very possible that the league will eliminate two preseason games as well. The quality of play in the preseason has been pretty poor lately and the risk of injury has simply been too great for starters to play much. Eliminating two games will definitely help players avoid preseason injury and adding two regular season games will add revenue for the league and for the teams.
Commissioner Goodell has a lot of influence with the owners and when he wants something to happen it usually does. He wanted the 2014 Super Bowl to be in New York and that is what will occur. He has said that he wants an expanded regular season and that is likely to happen as early as the 2011 season. The addition of regular season games to the schedule definitely will help the Internet bookmaker as the NFL is the most popular sport.