The NFL owners voted to change an element in the overtime rule, giving the team that loses the coin toss at the start of overtime to get a possession if the coin-toss winning team scores a field goal with the first possession.

The proposal passed 28-4. As it is written, the rules change applies just for the postseason, but the owners also decided to discuss adopting the changes for the regular season at their next meeting, in May in Dallas.

Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner.

If the team that possesses the ball first scores a field goal on its initial possession, the other team shall have the opportunity to possess the ball. If [that team] scores a touchdown on its possession, it is the winner. If the score is tied after [both teams have a] possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the winner.

If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if [the overtime period's] initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue until a score is made, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.

The Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals voted against the proposal.

The competition committee recommended the change in a vote of 6-2, and commissioner Roger Goodell supported the plan. He was able to secure enough votes to get the proposal passed on Tuesday, a day before the expected Wednesday vote.

The reason for the change was the increased accuracy of kickers since 1993. In 1994, the NFL moved kickoffs from the 35 to the 30, which created better field position for the teams that won the coin toss and received the kickoffs.

Statistics examined by the committee showed that since 1994, teams winning the coin toss win the game 59.8 percent of the time. The team that loses the toss wins the game 38.5 percent in that 15-year span.

“We’ve had this discussion for a number of years,” competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said. “We feel this year’s proposal gave us the opportunity to [install] a pretty good rule. Statistically we felt it needed to be changed. It wasn’t creating the fairest result as far as field goal accuracy, field goal distance and drive starts.”

McKay said one of the selling points was it maintained the sudden death aspect of overtime.

This is not a one-year experiment. The vote is a permanent change to the overtime rule, which was established in 1974 to minimize the number of games ending in ties.

Tribute to the New Orleans Saints 2009

NFL ANNOUNCES 32 COMPENSATORY DRAFT CHOICES TO 19 CLUBS

A total of 32 compensatory choices in the 2010 NFL Draft have been awarded to 19 teams, the NFL announced today.

Under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks.

The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four. The 32 compensatory choices announced today will supplement the 223 choices in the seven rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft (April 22-24). This year, the compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.

Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula.

Three clubs this year (Oakland, Miami and Tampa Bay) will each receive a compensatory pick even though they did not suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents last year. Under the formula, the compensatory free agents lost by these clubs were ranked higher than the ones they signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance).

Thirty compensatory picks were awarded to clubs based upon the compensatory pick formula. By rule, two additional choices were awarded at the end of the seventh round to bring the total number of compensatory selections to 32, equaling the number of NFL clubs. The two additional picks were awarded to St. Louis and Detroit based upon the 2010 draft selection order.

The following 2010 draft picks have been determined by the NFL Management Council:

ROUND CHOICE/ ROUND OVERALL SELECTION TEAM

3 33-96 Cincinnati

3 34-97 Tennessee

3 35-98 Atlanta

4 33-131 Cincinnati

5 33-164 Pittsburgh

5 34-165 Atlanta

5 35-166 Pittsburgh

5 36-167 Minnesota

5 37-168 San Diego

5 38-169 Green Bay

6 33-202 Carolina

6 34-203 Jacksonville

6 35-204 Carolina

6 36-205 New England

6 37-206 San Francisco

6 38-207 Tennessee

7 33-240 Indianapolis

7 34-241 Tennessee

7 35-242 Pittsburgh

7 36-243 Philadelphia

7 37-244 Philadelphia

7 38-245 Seattle

7 39-246 Indianapolis

7 40-247 New England

7 41-248 New England

7 42-249 Carolina

7 43-250 New England

7 44-251 Oakland

7 45-252 Miami

7 46-253 Tampa Bay

7 47-254 St. Louis

7 48-255 Detroit

Following are the compensatory free agents lost and signed last year by the clubs that will receive compensatory picks in the 2010 NFL Draft:

ATLANTA Lost: Michael Boley, Keith Brooking, Domonique Foxworth, Grady Jackson

Signed: Mike Peterson, Brett Romberg

CAROLINA Lost: Geoff Hangartner, Mark Jones, Frank Omiyale

CINCINNATI Lost: Stacy Andrews, Ryan Fitzpatrick, T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Signed: J.T. O’Sullivan

GREEN BAY Lost: Colin Cole

INDIANAPOLIS Lost: Darrell Reid, Hunter Smith

JACKSONVILLE Lost: Khalif Barnes, Mike Peterson, Gerald Sensabaugh

Signed: Sean Considine, Tra Thomas

MIAMI Lost: Andre’ Goodman, Renaldo Hill

Signed: Joe Berger, Jake Grove

MINNESOTA Lost: Matt Birk, Darren Sharper

Signed: Karl Paymah

NEW ENGLAND Lost: Heath Evans, Jabar Gaffney, Larry Izzo, LaMont Jordan, Lonie Paxton

Signed: Brandon McGowan

OAKLAND Lost: Jake Grove

Signed: Khalif Barnes

PHILADELPHIA Lost: Correll Buckhalter, Sean Considine, Brian Dawkins, L.J. Smith,

Tra Thomas

Signed: Stacy Andrews, Sean Jones, Leonard Weaver

PITTSBURGH Lost: Byron Leftwich, Bryant McFadden, Nate Washington

SAN DIEGO Lost: Mike Goff, Igor Olshansky

Signed: Kevin Burnett

SAN FRANCISCO Lost: Ronald Fields, Bryant Johnson, J.T. O’Sullivan, Donald Strickland

Signed: Demetric Evans, Brandon Jones, Moran Norris

SEATTLE Lost: Rocky Bernard, Maurice Morris, Leonard Weaver, Floyd Womack

Signed: Colin Cole, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, John Owens

TAMPA BAY Lost: Phillip Buchanon, Jovan Haye

Signed: Byron Leftwich, Derrick Ward

TENNESSEE Lost: Chris Carr, Albert Haynesworth, Brandon Jones, Eric King, Daniel Loper, Chris Simms

Signed: Jovan Haye, Mark Jones, Nate Washington

TOTAL 2010 NFL COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS

New England 4

Carolina 3

Pittsburgh 3

Tennessee 3

Atlanta 2

Cincinnati 2

Indianapolis 2

Philadelphia 2

Detroit 1

Green Bay 1

Jacksonville 1

Miami 1

Minnesota 1

Oakland 1

St. Louis 1

San Diego 1

Seattle 1

San Francisco 1

Tampa Bay 1

TOTAL 32

NFL CLUB SUMMARY OF COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS, 1994-2010 *

Arizona 15

Atlanta 10

Baltimore 29

Buffalo 24

Carolina 10

Chicago 17

Cincinnati 17

Cleveland 1

Dallas 28

Denver 8

Detroit 15

Green Bay 25

Houston 3

Indianapolis 16

Jacksonville 19

Kansas City 12

Miami 14

Minnesota 13

New England 26

New Orleans 9

NY Giants 18

NY Jets 5

Oakland 12

Philadelphia 27

Pittsburgh 22

St. Louis ** 26

San Diego 15

San Francisco 17

Seattle 17

Tampa Bay 17

Tennessee *** 25

Washington 11

TOTAL 523

* 1994 was the first year that compensatory draft choices were awarded; ** St. Louis picks include those awarded to Los Angeles Rams: *** Tennessee picks include those awarded to Houston Oilers.

Youth football leaders from throughout Saints Country traveled to the team’s training facility for an exciting day of learning and idea sharing on March 6 for USA Football’s Louisiana State Leadership forum. USA Football is the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels and is the Saints’ official youth football development partner.

Youth league commissioners, presidents and board members from across Louisiana attended to discuss best practices and to learn how the Saints and USA Football can strengthen their organizations. USA Football South Regional Manager Dave Fanucchi led the full-day agenda.

“Everyone has ideas and ways of doing things, so it’s great when league leaders from across the region can get together and share them to help grow youth football and make our leagues better,” said Leon Blouin, president of Tri-Parish Youth Football in Gonzales, La.

USA Football’s resources include coaching education for the game’s dedicated volunteers, concussion awareness information, equipment grants, coaching benefits such as online practice planners, and a video drills library, as well as price breaks for the leagues to conduct in-depth background checks on potential volunteers.

“USA Football provides resources and education that we can bring back to our coaches to make the game safer for our kids…and it can also educate their parents to give them a better understanding of the game – making it more enjoyable for everyone,” added Blouin.

Fanucchi and league commissioners also discussed player registration, officiating training resources, a national youth football playing standard, pre-and post-season events and fundraising guidance.

“With the support from NFL teams like the Saints, USA Football is helping unify the sport on youth levels,” said USA Football’s Fanucchi. “Ultimately it’s the kids who love to play football who benefit from these meetings – they’re going to enjoy the sport even more when coaches and league commissioners are prepared and employ the resources offered.”

USA Football selects one commissioner at each state forum to attend the NFL/USA Football Youth Summit in Canton, Ohio, in July. Approximately 200 coaches and administrators from every state take part in the annual event to discuss topics vital to the continued success of youth and high school programs. ReVonne Harden Jr., commissioner of Louisiana Youth Football, was selected to represent Louisiana at the Summit.

“I am looking forward to the overall experience, however, just the thought of being afforded the opportunity to attend the Summit in Canton – the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – is exciting in itself,” said Harden. “I am also extremely anxious to meet individuals from across the country that share similar visions for youth football in America.”

Learn more about USA Football or arrange to have one of the organization’s eight regional managers meet with your league by visiting www.usafootball.com or call 1-877-5-FOOTBALL.