NFL changes playoff overtime rule after Kansas City Chiefs vs Buffalo Bills thriller

By Ben Morse and Homero De la Fuente, CNN

Updated 1500 GMT (2300 HKT) March 31, 2022

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks to pass to the end zone against the Buffalo Bills.

(CNN)The NFL approved a rule change on Tuesday which will ensure both teams get at least one possession when playing in an overtime game during the playoffs.

It comes after the dramatic ending to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills game in the playoffs last season, with the Chiefs winning 42-36 after winning the coin toss and scoring a touchdown with the first possession, therefore ending the game with the Bills never getting an opportunity to reply. The ending of the game in the AFC Divisional Round shone a light on the rule, with some fans calling it the "worst rule in sports."And commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL «always listen to the fans — that's an important thing.»«We're always looking to improve and I think what really drove the decision was the database, ultimately, and looking at the facts and what's happened,» Goodell said after the rule change on Tuesday. Read More«Where we saw that most having an influence, I think, was 12 games in the postseason that have been in overtime, seven of which were won on the first possession. When you see that, that's the type of thing that I think our coaches and everyone looked at — this is an issue in the postseason we should deal with.»29 of the 32 teams in the league voted in favor of the rule change, according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport. The traditional sudden-death rules will still apply for all regular season games. The NFL's overtime rule explained and why fans want to see it changedPreviously, the team that received the opening kickoff in overtime would win