LogFAQs > #978810697

theawesomestevr posted...

The only advantage I see when you take the ball 1st is that if you put the other team in 4th and long, you force the other team's hand to either tie the game with a FG or punt if the game is tied, but you're in that exact scenario yourself if the other team puts you in 4th and long on your opening possession, so to me, it's just dumb the whole way around to receive 1st under the current rules.

You don't force the other team's hand in that scenario because if a FG ties that means you already scored a FG on your opening possession so punting is simply not an option for them (they would literally lose by default) - they know they have four downs the entire way until they hit FG range and only then do they have to start deciding do they kick a FG and go to sudden death and needing to hold you to a stop or go for it and risk losing right there but possibly winning if they can keep going and get a TD.