When Did Sudden Death Overtime Start in the NFL?

Sudden death overtime started in the NFL in 1974. Read on to learn more about how this important rule change has affected the game of football.

History of Sudden Death Overtime in the NFL

Sudden death overtime was first used during the regular season in 1974, and has been used in the playoffs since 1975. During sudden death overtime, the first team to score wins the game. In the regular season, the overtime period is 10 minutes long. However, in the playoffs, the overtime period is 15 minutes long.

Pre-2017 Rules

In the NFL prior to 2017, if the score was tied at the end of regulation time, the game would go into overtime. During overtime, each team would get one possession from their opponent’s 25-yard line, with no first downs. If both teams failed to score, or if the score remained tied after both teams had possessed the ball once, the game would end in a tie.

This system led to some controversial endings, most notably the “Coin Toss Game” between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002. In this game, after neither team scored in overtime, the coin toss was used to determine which team would get the ball first. The Colts won the toss, and then scored a touchdown on their possession to win the game.

In 2012, the rules were changed so that each team would get at least one possession in overtime regardless of whether or not the other team scored. If one team scored a touchdown on its first possession, then the other team would get a chance to score. But if that team also scored a touchdown (or if neither team scored), then sudden death rules would go into effect and whichever team scored next would win the game.

2017 Rule Change

In 2017, the NFL unanimously approved a rule change that would send both teams to overtime if the score is still tied at the end of regulation. In the past, only one team would get possession of the ball in overtime, and if they scored a touchdown, that would be the end of the game. However, with the new rule change, both teams will get a chance to possess the ball, and if neither team scores, the game will end in a tie.

How Sudden Death Overtime Works

When the NFL season reaches its later stages and the playoffs loom, the excitement level surrounding the game intensifies. Every game matters and one mistake can be the difference between winning and losing. This is especially true in sudden death overtime, where one team can win and the other goes home. Let’s take a look at how sudden death overtime works in the NFL.

Possession Change

When the game clock expires in regulation play and the score is tied, the game enters overtime. In overtime, both teams get one chance (together) to score, and whoever scores first wins. This is sudden death: if Team A kicks a field goal on their first drive of overtime, Team B doesn’t get a chance to respond because the game would be over. The first team to score in overtime always wins.

This was not always how NFL games were decided. Before 1974, games that were tied at the end of regulation were replayed from scratch: both teams had the ball for an equal number of possessions from their own 25-yard line, and whoever scored more points won. This could go on indefinitely (though it rarely did). In practice, it meant that most games that entered overtime were decided on the first possession. If one team scored a touchdown, the other team would get a chance to score, but if they didn’t they would lose.

Field Goal Attempts

The National Football League (NFL) first used sudden death during the regular season in 1946, but it wasn’t until 1974 that the league adopted sudden death overtime for playoff games. The system has remained unchanged since then: If one team scores a touchdown or field goal on its first possession of overtime, it wins the game; if it doesn’t score, or if the score is tied at the end of the first overtime period, play continues under sudden death rules.

In 2017, the NFL tweaked its overtime rules to cut down on the length of games. Now, if a team scores a touchdown on its opening possession of overtime, the game is over. If it kicks a field goal, the other team gets a chance to either tie the game with a touchdown or win it with a field goal of its own.

What Happens if the Game is Tied After Sudden Death Overtime?

If a game is tied after four quarters, it goes into overtime. Each team gets the ball at the 25-yard line and has a chance to score. If the score is still tied after both teams have had a chance to score, the game goes into sudden death overtime.

2017 Rule Change

In 2017, the NFL implemented a new rule regarding what happens during sudden death overtime. In the past, if the game was tied after regulation, the teams would play an extra period of 15 minutes with each team getting a chance to possess the ball. If neither team scored during that period, the game would end in a tie. However, under the new rule, if the game is still tied after the first overtime period, each team will get a chance to possess the ball from its own 25-yard line. The first team to score wins the game.

Pre-2017 Rules

If a game was tied after regulation time, the team that lost the coin toss would get the ball first in overtime. If that team scored a touchdown, the game would be over. But if they kicked a field goal, the other team would get a chance to score. If they scored a touchdown, they would win. But if they only got a field goal, the game would keep going. It was like this until 2017, when the NFL changed its rules for overtime in the playoffs.

Under the new rules, each team gets one possession in overtime, regardless of what happens on the first possession. If one team scores a touchdown and the other team doesn’t score at all, the game is over. But if both teams score field goals, or if one team scores a touchdown and the other team scores a field goal, then the game keeps going. It’s like sudden death, but with Possession football instead of Field goals football. The first team to score wins (whether it’s a touchdown or field goal).