OT rules

[Laxbuck]

What is the rationale for a 4:00 overtime period. Doesn’t that give an undue advantage to teams with a better FOGO if it is scoreless for 4:00? Why not just another 15:00 period?

[Gorilla Fan]

And why 1 timeout per 4 mins. PLL has zero

[bearlaxfan]

I think the old 4min OT rule, without sudden death, would be an improvement. Second 4 min. as sudden death so games don't get too extended. And no timeouts! Let's keep things moving! Is your team well-coached or not?

[CU77]

Why not just another 15:00 period?

That's my preference. With one time-out per team.

[fsclax]

Just guessing but the 4 minute (vice a 15 minute) OT period might be intended to balance the scales if one side of the field has some advantage over the other (low sun, poor background for goalies, field conditions, whatever.) By keeping the OT period(s) short, it negates one team from possessing that advantage for a full 15 minutes.

[SCLaxAttack]

Just guessing but the 4 minute (vice a 15 minute) OT period might be intended to balance the scales if one side of the field has some advantage over the other (low sun, poor background for goalies, field conditions, whatever.) By keeping the OT period(s) short, it negates one team from possessing that advantage for a full 15 minutes.

This would make sense if OT wasn’t sudden win. As it is now one team only needs fifteen seconds of those sorts of advantages if they have a FOGO advantage.

[runrussellrun]

Just guessing but the 4 minute (vice a 15 minute) OT period might be intended to balance the scales if one side of the field has some advantage over the other (low sun, poor background for goalies, field conditions, whatever.) By keeping the OT period(s) short, it negates one team from possessing that advantage for a full 15 minutes.

This would make sense if OT wasn’t sudden win. As it is now one team only needs fifteen seconds of those sorts of advantages if they have a FOGO advantage.

If they have a FOGO "advantage", why would they be playing OT in the first place?

[wgdsr]

Just guessing but the 4 minute (vice a 15 minute) OT period might be intended to balance the scales if one side of the field has some advantage over the other (low sun, poor background for goalies, field conditions, whatever.) By keeping the OT period(s) short, it negates one team from possessing that advantage for a full 15 minutes.

makes sense. definitely could be a decided advantage there. stripping the timeouts (2 every 4 minutes!) seems like a change worth making. coaches can make plays and adjustments pretty frequently as is.

[darkhaha]

As others have alluded to, OT used to consist of two full 4-minute periods (not sudden death), with the teams switching directions after the first OT period. In 1976, for instance, Cornell beat Maryland 16–13 in OT in the NCAA Championship game. When the rule changed to sudden death, they kept the 4-minute period(s).