I root for the 11th tie-breaker!!

[jtex316]

I love this page on NFL.com:

http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures

It's - as the URL says - the NFL Tie-Braking procedures.

There's all kinds of improbable goodies on this page, but let me paste here the tie-breaking procedures for playoff wild-card teams (for two teams):

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TO BREAK A TIE FOR THE WILD-CARD TEAM

If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild-Card clubs from each conference, the following steps will be taken.

If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.
Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.

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In my lifetime, I would like this highly improbable situation to arise where two teams with identical records and meeting all of the criteria above have to have its fate determined by a simple coin flip. A fucking coin flip!! Can you imagine THAT after week 17? Do they televise this coin flip? Do the stadiums get packed with fans to watch it on the big-screen? Is there a celebrity coin-flipper? Who gets to call heads and tails? Will ESPN send out announcers and a sideline reporter, too?

I'd love to see a live televised coin-flip to determine a playoff spot.

[Frimp]

That would be great....but what happens if the ref screws that up? Wasnt there a game a couple years ago when the ref got the coin toss wrong? I'm thinking the 49ers were involved in that game, but I'm not sure.

[Denver_Bronco]

That would be great....but what happens if the ref screws that up? Wasnt there a game a couple years ago when the ref got the coin toss wrong? I'm thinking the 49ers were involved in that game, but I'm not sure.

Bettis was also at the center of one of the most controversial calls in NFL history. During a Thanksgiving Day game with the Detroit Lions on November 26, 1998, Bettis was sent out as the Steelers representative for the overtime coin toss. Bettis called "tails" while the coin was in the air but referee Phil Luckett declared that Bettis called "heads" and awarded possession to Detroit, who would go on to win the game before Pittsburgh had the chance to have possession. After reviewing the incident, the NFL changed the rule and declared that the call of "heads" or "tails” would be made before the coin was tossed rather than during the coin toss and that at least two officials would be present during the coin toss. Some have jokingly referred to the new procedure as the "Jerome Bettis Rule." The readers of ESPN voted the incident as the #8 on its list of the top ten worst sports officiating calls of all time

[jtex316]

That would be great....but what happens if the ref screws that up? Wasnt there a game a couple years ago when the ref got the coin toss wrong? I'm thinking the 49ers were involved in that game, but I'm not sure.

I'm not sure a regular ref would be flipping the actual coin. Maybe a high-ranking league official would do this?

[Denver_Bronco]

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d80cc8200/Bettis-calls-tails

[Brian Fein]

Didn't they do a coin toss for a draft pick a few seasons ago?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.

More than enough justification to run up the score, IMHO. 

[Sunstroke]

Didn't they do a coin toss for a draft pick a few seasons ago?

That actually happens fairly regularly...at least 5 times this decade. My 49ers won one of those tiebreaking coin tosses a few years ago.

"If any ties cannot be broken by strength of schedule, the divisional or conference tie breakers, whichever are applicable, are applied. Any ties that still exist are broken by a coin flip.”