How Do Overtime Work In The NFL?
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How Do Overtime Work In The NFL? All you need to know about the NFL overtime rules: how it works, sudden death, and more.
How Does Overtime Work?
When a game ends in regulation time with a tied score, overtime provides a way to declare a winner. In most cases, each team is given one possession to score. If the score is still tied after both teams have had a chance to score, the overtime period continues until one team scores and the other doesn’t.
In the Regular Season
In the regular season, each team plays 16 games. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, both teams receive one point in the standings. If one team has more points than the other at the end of regulation, that team is declared the winner and is awarded an additional point. In other words, if Team A beats Team B in overtime, Team A gets two points in the standings and Team B gets zero.
In the Playoffs
In the playoffs, a coin toss occurs before each overtime period. The team that wins the coin toss has the option to either: 1) elect to play defense first or 2) defer their choice until the second overtime period. If they defer, they will get to choose whether to play offense or defense first in the second overtime period. The game ends when one team scores points and the other team fails to score in their following possession.
What Happens If the Game Is Tied After Overtime?
If a game is tied after four quarters, it goes into overtime. Both teams get the ball at the 25-yard line, and they can score as many points as they want. The first team to score in overtime wins the game. If both teams score, it keeps going until one team has more points than the other.
In the Regular Season
If a game is tied after regulation, overtime periods of 10 minutes each are played. The team that scores first during overtime wins the game. If neither team scores during the first overtime period, another period of 10 minutes is played. This format continues until one team scores during an overtime period.
In the Playoffs
If a playoff game is tied after regulation, the teams play 10-minute overtime periods. These periods are played in sudden death, meaning that the first team to score wins. If neither team scores in overtime, the game ends in a tie.
How Long Is an Overtime Period?
NFL overtime is sudden death, meaning the first team to score wins. There are no timeouts and the play clock is 35 seconds. Each team gets two possessions (unless the team that wins the coin toss scores a touchdown on its first drive, in which case the game ends).
In the Regular Season
In the regular season, each period is 15 minutes long. There are four periods in each game. If the score is tied at the end of four quarters, the game enters overtime.
In overtime, each team gets one possession to score. The team that scores first wins the game. If both teams fail to score, or if both teams score a touchdown on their first possession, the game ends in a tie.
In the Playoffs
In the playoffs, each overtime period is 15 minutes long. This means that if the game is still tied at the end of regulation, both teams will play an additional 15 minutes to try and score. If neither team scores in the first overtime period, they will play another 15 minutes. This will continue until one team scores, and the game ends.
