Any you guys down south see the Grey Cup this past weekend?

[HossHumard]

Extraordinary game, was able to see it live in Vancouver.

Won in "double" overtime by Edmonton, 38-35 over Montreal....any thoughts on the Canuck version of OT vs. NFL style?

A friend in LA mentioned that it's similar to US college....zat so?

Originally posted by HossHumard
Extraordinary game, was able to see it live in Vancouver.

Won in "double" overtime by Edmonton, 38-35 over Montreal....any thoughts on the Canuck version of OT vs. NFL style?

A friend in LA mentioned that it's similar to US college....zat so?

what type of OT do you guys use up there?

[Jim S]

What's a Gray Cup? And have you tried some silver polish on it?

[BCer]

What's a Gray Cup? And have you tried some silver polish on it?

it is a big grey cup . Goes to the team that wins the 12 man a side game we call Canadian football. The first governor general was smart enough to give a cup for that truly great Canadian game called hackey (realizing that bloodshed is necessary for any great sport). The second got to give a cup for Canadian football. Better than the "sporting" choices what the current one is left with - giving a cup for professional hot dog eating or turkey eating. The Barf Cup doesn't quite have the same ring as the Stanley or the Grey Cup.

OT used resembles US college I think. Both teams start on the 35 yard line and each get an offensive possession. Whoever has the most points at the end of each pair of posseessions wins. During the regular season, OT stops at 2 offensive possessions for each tem. I believe in Conference and the Grey Cup, they just keep going until a winner is determined.

Seriously, it is a good way to determine a winner (and it was an amazing game even though the meltdown Lions didn't make it). I loathe the NFL rule - you might as well award the victory to the winner of the coin flip.

[jfurdell]

I would have liked to have seen it, but it wasn't televised in my area, as far as I know. They ran some CFL games during July and August, which I enjoyed watching. (Much more emphasis on offense and scoring, and that extra yard in the neutral zone appears to really contribute to that.)

We did get to see highlights, though.

[w_sohl]

Originally posted by BCer


I loathe the NFL rule - you might as well award the victory to the winner of the coin flip.

Not true, from and old artilce published in 2003:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/ram...php?p=87&cat=1

Remember, there’s nothing inherently advantageous to getting the ball first in sudden-death overtime. This weekend, for example, two of three teams that lost the toss ended up winning the game. But, although the margin is small, there is a definite advantage to winning the toss. Going into this season, there had been 342 overtime games in NFL history. Of those games, 177 times (51.8%) the team that won the toss won the game, 149 times (43.6%) the team that lost the toss won the game, and 16 games (4.7%) ended tied.

[Suudy]

I caught the last few minutes of the 4th quarter and the entire overtime on HDNet. It was definitely a strange experience. Multiple men in motion, moving forward at the snap, only 3 downs, a _huge_ endzone, and the goal posts on the goalline.

Not to mention mechanics. In the overtime I saw one official on the sidelines in the middle of the endzone. I'm not exactly sure what the mechanics are, but I thought he'd be either at the goalline or the endline. Also, on a goalline play, the umpire (if that's what he is called) was lined up nearly on the goalline, outside the defensive end. He signalled touchdown himself. Also the signals used for penalties are different. I think I remember the signal for pass interference looking like our illegal motion.

And a couple more minor differences. The R wears a black hat with white piping, and the other wear white hats with black piping. And their flags look more orange than yellow.

[Jim S]

Sounds like a high school game with some of the crews I have seen in other parts of the state.
One thing about statistics. The 51.8% of the OTs that were won by the team winning the toss, does that include games where the team winning the toss won after both teams had a possession?

[HossHumard]

Well Suudy, welcome to the Canadian game, eh? It's the same but very different to be sure. A previous poster mentioned the neutral zone causing more open play, but IMHO, I think its the motion, wider field (65yrds) and especially the three downs that make it more wide open. I've always thought the NFL game would be better if those great athletes had more room to move around in.

In terms of mechanics, you are correct in noticing the Umpire makes the call on the goal line, and I believe your outside guys do that. I prefer our mechanic as it allows a much closer view on wether or not the ball breaks the plane, but perhaps there's a reason for your way down south. We are taught, when working "the pit", to line up just outside the DE's butt on the wideside and take a step into the line at snap and that should leave you right on the line...in practise.

Finally with regard to the hats and the flags, Rumour has it that the CFL guys will be changing to your hat patten (which, strangely enough, is ours at the Cdn. Amateur level as well) and using yellow flags next year, but I can't confirm that.

[Suudy]

Originally posted by HossHumard
A previous poster mentioned the neutral zone causing more open play, but IMHO, I think its the motion, wider field (65yrds) and especially the three downs that make it more wide open.

I'd forgotten about the wider NZ. Is it a rule that they are a yard off the ball? When I was in college, Oregon came to town and ran a defense that had the D-line a yard off the ball. I remember reading that their new D-coordinator was from the CFL. In the end I think they gave it up because it was a yard of momentum the offense could get.

[w_sohl]

Originally posted by Jim S
One thing about statistics. The 51.8% of the OTs that were won by the team winning the toss, does that include games where the team winning the toss won after both teams had a possession?

That includes all overtime games in the history of the NFL, so YES.

342 games:

177 wins by teams winning the toss (51.8%)
149 wins by teams losing the toss (43.6%)
16 ties ( 4.7%)

I know this totals 100.1%, but that is a product of rounding the decimals.

[HossHumard]

The NZ is very much a rule up north. Nobody may encroach within the yard before the ball is snapped.

Beyond that, I think scrimmage rules (with regard to the NZ) are pretty much the same on both sides of the 49th. If Oline moves before snap its a whistle and Procedure call, if the Dline jumps but gets back before snap without breaking the Oline plane, no whistle.

It does get a bit juicy when the Dline comes before the snap and the Olineman pulls up in response. We usually tag the Oline with procedure if they're across from each other, but some in our association disagree and its usually worth a couple of hours of drunken back and forth at pay night....beats talking about the upcoming election I guess...

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by HossHumard
It does get a bit juicy when the Dline comes before the snap and the Olineman pulls up in response. We usually tag the Oline with procedure if they're across from each other

You might want to double check your philosophy on that one.

[HossHumard]

Your thoughts??

[Warrenkicker]

Originally posted by w_sohl

That includes all overtime games in the history of the NFL, so YES.

342 games:

177 wins by teams winning the toss (51.8%)
149 wins by teams losing the toss (43.6%)
16 ties ( 4.7%)

I know this totals 100.1%, but that is a product of rounding the decimals.

Well my math tells me that when there is only one possession that the coin toss winner wins the game 100% of the time . So 48.2% of all games were not won by the coin toss winner. Probability would also say that not all of the 177 wins by the coin toss winner happened on the first possession. It is my guess that the game ended after only one possession more than 12 times so the numbers say that if the coin toss winner does not score on their first possession they are probably not going to win the game.