In the article The NFL Should Auction Possession in Overtime Games, ( The Economists' Voice: Vol. 6 : Iss. 9, Article 5) Che and Hendershott argue that auctions rather than a flip of the coin should be used to decide who will have the ball first in overtime play in football. It turns out that the likelihood of winning when one gets first possession of the ball is almost the same as if the winner was decided by the flip of a coin. Auctions -- here the bid is the field position (how far back the team will start) -- by contrast gives the "winner" a handicap that compensates the "loser" for not winning. The NFL moved in 1994 the kickoff spot by 5 feet, giving the receiving team (the "loser" in overtime draw) a better field position, something that an auction will replicate and ameliorate since how far back the winning team wants to go will be a function of the relative forces of the two teams.
