NFL Overtime Rule ?

It would be better if both could touch the ball on both sides but I don't think it is bad now. Defense is part of the game, and so is the reality that we are playing with human beings that can't just keep going on forever just because we want them to (I was shocked to hear how hard it was on Richard Sherman a few years back when the Seahawks played a very long, defensive overtime game-I think it was the 6-6 tie with the Cardinals, in fact). Therefore I don't think it is unreasonable to leave a little more to the luck of the coin flip and the other half of your favorite team.

Also, I think the playoff OT rules are already what you describe.

The problem is that no matter what you do to settle OT, the losing team is going to look at any inequality in the system and claim that its unfair. So, where does it end?

What if team #1 scores a TD, Team #2 gets the ball and scores a TD to tie, then Team #1 gets the ball and scores another TD - does Team #1 win now that both teams had their minimum 1 possession or does Team #2 get a 2nd possession to keep it "fair" ??

Or what if both teams punt on their first possession and then team #1 scores a FG or TD? Does Team #2 get another possession to keep it fair?

Keep in mind that players don't want games dragging on forever, that's why they limit regular season to just one OT period and why they even shortened that from 15 to 10 minutes in recent years.

Obviously post season games have to have a winner to determine who advances and who is eliminated, but

One simple option would be to simply extend the 4th quarter by a predetermined amount of time and keep playing from where the regular time ended. No coin flips or kickoffs (unless the final play of regulation was a game tying score, in which case that team has to kick off to start the extended time). So whichever team has the ball keeps the ball. This could be done as sudden death (next score wins) or by adding a predetermined amount of time and saying most points at the end of that extension wins.

This takes the luck of the coin flip out of the equation. If you need every last second of regulation to score the tying points then your opponent gets the ball first in OT.

Something to consider

They already changed it once. It used to be first team to score, won. It was changed to a score by touchdown or safety ended the game, but if the first possession yielded a field goal, the other team had the chance to tie or win.

That goes far enough. I don't want NFL playoff football to be like college overtime. You want your chance to win the game, you keep the other guy out of your end zone. Simple enough.

Personally I was fine with the original Sudden Death OT. I think the new rule with the other team gets a chance if you only get a FG on first possession is silly. Saying oh if you get a TD the other team doesn't get a chance BUT if you get a FG they do is stupid to me. Either give the other team a possession either way or go to sudden death. Playing a full 10 minutes seems even sillier to me. You played 60 minutes. It is already fair that if you can't get the stops you need to then you lose. No one says well it's a 1 point game let's give you 5 minutes to try and score when the game is over just to be more fair. 

I never liked the NFL overtime rule that was sudden death.

I think the current rules are fair and probably the best solution. I also thing the only time anyone has an issue with it is when the team they are rooting for, loses in OT.

I would not have a big issues with it,assuming trhat they did it only for the playoffs, but I don't think they will change the rule anytime soon.

I’d be fine with altering the rule for the playoffs. I’d go with the 10 minute quarter over just a guaranteed possession for both since the same argument can be made if the team that wins the coin flip were to score both times.