Report: NFL to discuss coin-toss rule change

The NFL is expected to discuss simplifying the coin-toss rules for the 2020 season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

It's anticipated the discussion will focus on reducing confusion about what players need to say during the toss and seeing if there's a way to simplify the language, Schefter adds.

The pregame coin toss became a topic of conversation in Week 15 when Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott initially wasn't heard saying his team wanted to defer the opening-kick decision to the second half against the Los Angeles Rams.

The current rules state that one of the team's captains must use the word "defer" when declaring whether his club wants to receive the ball to open the game or defer the decision to the second half. It wasn't clear if Prescott used that word last week, forcing the NFL to intervene during halftime.

Prior to that coin toss, Rams quarterback Jared Goff called tails, and it came up heads. Prescott told the referees his team wanted "defense," pointing to the Rams and saying, "kicking it that way."

The referees had to confirm Prescott's choice, which could have given the Rams the option to receive the ball to start the second half. Referee Walt Anderson responded, "OK, you're going to kick."

The video review showed Prescott saying, "We defer to the second half."

Because Prescott said "kicking" before "defer," the officials were confused about whether the Rams could then receive the ball to open the second half.