Owners could shave OT to 10 minutes

NEW YORK — NFL owners will consider proposals next week to cut regular-season overtime from 15 minutes to 10; eliminate players leaping over the line on kick plays; and expansion of coaches’ challenges and what can be reviewed by officials.

In what promises to be a busy annual meeting next week in Phoenix that will include discussing the Raiders’ potential relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, the 32 owners also will vote on changing the mechanics on replay reviews and other items intended to reduce downtime during games.

The Eagles proposed four rules changes, including abolishing the leaping techniques that league football operations director Troy Vincent said Thursday “don’t belong in the game.”

Seattle and Buffalo coauthored a proposal allowing a coach to challenge any officiating decision, whether a foul is called or not.

Another major change would be the reduction of overtime in-season; the extra period in the playoffs would remain at 15 minutes. The powerful competition committee, of which Vincent and NFL officiating chief Dean Blandino are members, believed it’s a player safety issue, noting that number of snaps for games going to OT — especially deep into the overtime — is excessive.

As for changing the format of overtime to ensure both teams always get a possession — a popular topic after how the Super Bowl ended — Blandino said the league’s wants to keep the element of sudden death in the extra period.

The “leaper rule” has taken some priority among competition committee members, the players’ union and coaches. Vincent said coaches have begun scheming how to defense it, which can “create a real safety issue.”

McKay noted that the NCAA is in the process of passing a similar ban on the technique.