Why the NFL shouldn’t have ties

In a league built on competition, the infamous and rowdy NFL feeds fans, players and coaches craving victory. However, there is one end that leaves them all scratching their heads, a tie game. Despite many leagues going till a winner is crowned, the NFL still allows games to end without a winner. This outcome isn’t just unsatisfying; it also doesn’t fit professional sports.

Competition Calls For a Winner

In its creation, football is about determining who is better on the field, who has the better game plan, who executes under pressure and who can claim victory. Imagine a Super Bowl ending in a tie, how crazy does that sound? Yet during the regular season, the NFL allows games to end like this.

Every snap, every tackle, every yard matters. Fans invest emotion, money, and sometimes even physical buy-in to witness their team win or lose, not to walk away with either. A tie feels like unfinished business, especially for large games like this past weekend, the Micah Parsons Sunday night return trip to Dallas, now as a member of the Green Bay Packers, where the game ended in a 40-40 tie.

Confusing and Unfair for Standings

Ties also create confusion in the standings. Most sports fans understand a win or a loss, but introduce a tie into the mix, and who falls where becomes a grey puddle. Playoff seeding becomes complicated, and sometimes a team can miss the postseason because another team tied a game they should’ve won or lost.

Players Deserve a Result

The physical and emotional toll on NFL players is incomparable. From offseason training to the brutal games of the regular season, these athletes commit their lives to competing at the highest level. They battle through 60 minutes of regulation and an overtime period, only to be told “good game, you and your opponent are equal”.

Fixing the Problem is Simple

Thankfully, fixing this issue is not only necessary, it's easy. Other leagues, including college football and the XFL, have found effective ways to guarantee a winner.

College football uses a shootout-style overtime that ensures excitement and a decisive outcome. The NFL could implement a similar system, or even follow the example of playoff overtime, where you keep playing until someone wins.

Extending overtime periods slightly, using the sudden death format, or creating a multi-possession system would all be usable instead of allowing ties. These changes would keep fans engaged, give teams a clear goal to win, and ensure that every game ends with a winner and a loser.

In a league built by rivalries, dramatic moments, and miracle plays for the ages, there is no room for a bland outcome. Ties are an outdated rule that takes away the beauty of competition. Every game should have a winner and a loser. The players deserve it, the fans deserve it, and even the sport deserves it.

Bronwyn Liber is a third-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email brl5354@psu.edu.