Defer?

[Pancake]

Sorry if this has been discussed. Too little time, too many threads.

Have we noticed the winner of the game opening coin toss the Dolphins are defering to the opposition?

The Dolphins have done this all year. They've been forutunate to win most of the coin tosses and when they do, they chose to open the game with their defense on the field.

I like this because if a team has any momentum going for them at the close of the first half, they have the opportunity to continue to pursue that oh so important intangible. If that team doesn't, then they get first shot at creating some momentum for them selves and squelch the oppositions.

I've noticed that other teams are doing this as well. I wonder who started this.

Just an observation. Any thoughts are welcome. :)

 

[greasyObnoxious]

i wonder what's the difference between deferring to the second half and simply choosing to kick?

 

[LibertineOneThree]

Sorry, but isn't the new rule that if a team wins a toss, it can defer and therefore make the other team choose?

Before, it was kick or receive. Now, it's kick, receive, or make them choose.

The fact that they've chosen to receive a lot is merely coincindental.

 

[PhinsPhan122]

I use to hate deferring and I always wanted to receive in the first half, but I have done a compete 180. Teams should always defer, it is the best decision.

 

[mexican phin]

i wonder what's the difference between deferring to the second half and simply choosing to kick?

I think if you choose to kick first then the other team in the halftime can choose to receive the ball again. You can only choose once

 

[MiggeMadness]

Sorry, but isn't the new rule that if a team wins a toss, it can defer and therefore make the other team choose?

Before, it was kick or receive. Now, it's kick, receive, or make them choose.

The fact that they've chosen to receive a lot is merely coincindental.

I was confused at what the new rule was about at first.

Apparently, the old rule was that you could choose to kick or receive. However, when I was reading a discussion I read that, under the old rule, if a team wins the toss and chooses to kick, then the other team gets to choose what they want to do after halftime.

So if you choose to kick, the other team gets the ball to begin the game. Then after halftime, the opponent chooses to receive, so they get the ball to start BOTH halves. You never saw this though because teams obviously always chose to receive the ball when they won the toss.

Now you can choose to defer the selection to the second half. That way you can receive after half-time.

Can anybody confirm this??

Here's an article talking about the rule change. Like most articles though, it doesn't really clarify the old rule:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-04-02-rule-changes_N.htm?csp=34

 

[burger13]

I was confused at what the new rule was about at first.

Apparently, the old rule was that you could choose to kick or receive. However, when I was reading a discussion I read that, under the old rule, if a team wins the toss and chooses to kick, then the other team gets to choose what they want to do after halftime.

So if you choose to kick, the other team gets the ball to begin the game. Then after halftime, the opponent chooses to receive, so they get the ball to start BOTH halves. You never saw this though because teams obviously always chose to receive the ball when they won the toss.

Now you can choose to defer the selection to the second half. That way you can receive after half-time.

Can anybody confirm this??

Here's an article talking about the rule change. Like most articles though, it doesn't really clarify the old rule:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-04-02-rule-changes_N.htm?csp=34

slight addendum to what you wrote

old rule: choose to kick, receive or defend either goal. team that loses the toss gets to choose the option you didn't (ex - if you choose to defend the north goal, they choose between kick and receive. if you choose kick, they choose which goal to defend) AND they get first choice in the second half. So if the team that won the toss selects to do anything BUT receive, the loser of the toss now has the option to receive the ball to start both halves.

new rule allows for the team that wins the toss to defer their choice until the 2nd half, so now if the winner defers, the team that lost the toss is in the same scenario as the coin toss winner was under the old rule....choose receive or kickoff to start both halves.

 

[truckstick23]

Defer In Hostile Territory!!!!!!!!!

 

[silvrwrx]

i beleive the "defer" rule started this year. i know its been in the college game but i think it was just passed this year for the nfl. i could be wrong.

 

[MiggeMadness]

slight addendum to what you wrote

old rule: choose to kick, receive or defend either goal. team that loses the toss gets to choose the option you didn't (ex - if you choose to defend the north goal, they choose between kick and receive. if you choose kick, they choose which goal to defend) AND they get first choice in the second half. So if the team that won the toss selects to do anything BUT receive, the loser of the toss now has the option to receive the ball to start both halves.

new rule allows for the team that wins the toss to defer their choice until the 2nd half, so now if the winner defers, the team that lost the toss is in the same scenario as the coin toss winner was under the old rule....choose receive or kickoff to start both halves.

Thanks for clarifying.

So I had it right for the most part (just omitted that the winner of the toss then chooses which goal to defend).:D

 

[tapsmiled]

I love that we have been deferring. It is the ONLY time in the game, barring a turnover, where a team can have 2 consecutive posessions. If you are able to kill the clock at the end of the first half----while leading a scoring drive of course---you then receive the ball in the 2nd half before the other team even sniffs posession. Imagine the momentum you could gain by putting together 2 scoring drives without giving the opposition a chance to even get on the field.

To me, this is the Madden rule of football...something I learned a long time ago playing video games. I just wonder what took others so long to figure this out.

 

[Ginn & Juice]

When you choose to defer, time management on the midway point in the 2nd quarter is crucial.You wanna keep the ball as long as possible and waist some clock and hopefully atleast get a field goal before the half and carry on the momentum when you receive in the second half.

 

[burger13]

I love that we have been deferring. It is the ONLY time in the game, barring a turnover, where a team can have 2 consecutive posessions. If you are able to kill the clock at the end of the first half----while leading a scoring drive of course---you then receive the ball in the 2nd half before the other team even sniffs posession. Imagine the momentum you could gain by putting together 2 scoring drives without giving the opposition a chance to even get on the field.

To me, this is the Madden rule of football...something I learned a long time ago playing video games. I just wonder what took others so long to figure this out.

did you read any of the other posts in this thread? Prior to this year, if you won the toss and chose anything other than receive, you were completely screwing yourself.

 

[burger13]

When you choose to defer, time management on the midway point in the 2nd quarter is crucial.You wanna keep the ball as long as possible and waist some clock and hopefully atleast get a field goal before the half and carry on the momentum when you receive in the second half.

not any different than if you lost the toss any other year.

 

[MiggeMadness]

I love that we have been deferring. It is the ONLY time in the game, barring a turnover, where a team can have 2 consecutive posessions. If you are able to kill the clock at the end of the first half----while leading a scoring drive of course---you then receive the ball in the 2nd half before the other team even sniffs posession. Imagine the momentum you could gain by putting together 2 scoring drives without giving the opposition a chance to even get on the field.

To me, this is the Madden rule of football...something I learned a long time ago playing video games. I just wonder what took others so long to figure this out.

I was going to mention this. I think most people (myself included, before I read deeper into it this spring) were under the impression that the team that wins the toss chooses to kick or receive. Then after halftime, it just goes the other way. You kick, then receive....or receive, then kick.

That how it works in any football video game I've play (madden and tecmo bowl) and I'm assuming there was a misconception that that's how it worked in the NFL before this year.