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Defer or the Ball?  

90 members have voted

  1. 1. After winning the coin toss the Bills should.....

    • Defer and get the ball at the start of the 2nd half
    • Take the ball but make sure they get whatever wind advantage prevails for the 4th quarter


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Posted

This makes sense to me. Why is it that college coaches defer the toss 90% of the time then?

 

College is for pussies.

 

That is just a joke, when I read the post that is what came to mind, and I thought my own joke was funny, so I decided to share.

 

I take the ball. There are factors but at the end of the day, personal preference, I want you catching me, not the other way around. Trying to catch up leads to mistakes, whether it is just one score or not. There is the "oh ****, I am behind" feeling. Again that might not be everybody, but me. I take the ball, establish the run, eat up some clock, but you have to manage the drive to get you points, not do our three and out, punt, they get the ball at midfield.

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Posted

This. Unless there is a significant wind I'd always play the odds and hope for an extra offensive possession each game by deferring. Having a 50% chance of getting back to back drives is like having a 50% chance of getting an extra turnover per game.

It doesn't work that way. Whichever team receives the ball first each half has a 50% chance of having an extra offensive possession that half. Deferring just means you'll decide at the start of the second half if choosing which direction you go each quarter is worth more than that.

Posted

There seems to be a bit of confusion here. So, in case this hasn't already been posted:

 

http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/cointoss

 

Coin Toss

 

1. The toss of coin will take place within three minutes of kickoff in center of field. The toss will be called by the visiting captain before the coin is flipped. The winner may choose one of two privileges and the loser gets the other:

(a) Receive or kick

(b) Goal his team will defend

2. Immediately prior to the start of the second half, the captains of both teams must inform the officials of their respective choices. The loser of the original coin toss gets first choice.

Posted

There still is. The rule was changed in 2008 to include a defer option.

 

Here's one link:

 

My link

 

 

Confusion indeed! I actually remember that change.

 

I wonder why the NFL site hasn't updated their rulebook basics?

 

Anyway, it still really isn't the confusion I was concerned about at the time. Some here think you can choose to Kick in the 1st half, and you automatically Receive in the 2nd half or get the wind in the 4th. The point is you choose kick or receive, or wind in one half and the other team gets that same choice in the remaining half (which due to the defer rule could be the 1st half).

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