When Can NFL Games Be Flexed?

The NFL has the option to “flex” games on Sundays. This means that the NFL can move a game from its original timeslot to a later timeslot.

The Basics of Flexing

Flexible scheduling is a procedure the NFL began utilizing in 2006 to “provide the best matchups in primetime slots in those weeks where compelling matchups are scheduled to occur on a Sunday afternoon,” according to the NFL’s website. The NFL season is divided into 17 weeks, with each team playing 16 games.

What is flexing?

In the NFL, the word “flexing” refers to the process of moving a game from one time slot to another, typically to ensure that a late-season matchup with playoff implications is seen by the widest possible audience.

There are several different scenarios in which flexing can take place. The most common is when a game is moved from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night. This usually happens late in the season, when there are multiple games with playoff implications that could benefit from primetime exposure.

Another scenario is when two teams have already been scheduled to play each other on Sunday night, but one of those teams is no longer in contention for a playoff spot. In that case, the NFL will sometimes “flex” another game into that time slot and move the less compelling matchup to an earlier time slot.

The NFL has been flexing games since 1985, and the process has become increasingly commonplace in recent years. In 2009, for example, seven different games were flexed into Sunday night slots during the course of the season.

Flexing games is not just about ensuring that interesting matchups are seen by as many people as possible; it also allows the NFL to avoid blackouts in local markets. If a team is on track to sell out its stadium for a particular game, then that game will not be blacked out on local television (even if it’s being shown on another network). But if there’s a risk of a blackout, then flexing can be used as a tool to avoid it.

Why is flexing done?

Flexible scheduling is done in order to ensure that the best possible games are featured on Sunday Night Football. The key word here is “possible.” Flexible scheduling is not meant to guarantee that a game with playoff implications will be shown in prime time on Sunday night, but only to give the network broadcasting the game (NBC) some leeway in choosing which games to show.

In years past, the NFL schedule was made months in advance and was largely set in stone. This meant that if a team that wasn’t very good ended up having a good season and became relevant late in the year, there was no way for the NFL to capitalize on that and showcase the team on Sunday night.

Flexible scheduling changes that. Now, the NFL has the ability to move games around to ensure that as many relevant games as possible are being shown on Sunday night. Of course, this also means that fans need to pay closer attention to the schedule in order to know which game will be shown in their area each week.

When Can Games Be Flexed?

NFL games can be flexed into different time slots if it will have a significant impact on the playoffs. The most important factor that is considered when deciding whether or not to flex a game is the fans. The NFL wants to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to watch the game. If a game is flexed, it will be announced at least 12 days in advance.

Week 5

In general, the NFL prefers to keep its schedule as fluid as possible. That means that, whenever possible, the league will try to move games around in order to ensure that the most competitive and interesting matchups are being shown on television on any given Sunday.

However, there are some restrictions on when and how games can be flexed. The most important one is that games cannot be moved from their originally scheduled time slot (1:00 p.m. ET or 4:05/4:25 p.m. ET) to the primetime slot (8:20 p.m. ET) until Week 11 of the season.

In addition, while the NFL can flex games out of their original time slot in order to put a more intriguing matchup in primetime, they cannot flex a game INTO a timeslot that is already occupied by another game. So, if there are two 1:00 p.m. games that the NFL wants to move into primetime, only one of them can be moved, and the other will have to stay at 1:00 p.m.

Finally, the NFL has to give each team at least one week of notice before moving a game to a different time slot. So, if the league decides in Week 10 that it wants to flex a particular game into primetime in Week 11, it will have to let both teams know by Week 10 so that they can prepare accordingly.

Week 10

The most pivotal time for NFL game flexing usually comes during Week 10. That’s when the NFL enterprise starts to look at the second half of the season and how everything might play out. The selection process is generally a three-step approach, but not always.

The first step is protecting Sunday Night Football on NBC. The NFL wants its primetime games to be as attractive as possible, so it will try to put the best possible matchup in that window. That might mean moving a game that was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m., or it could mean taking a game off of Sunday afternoon altogether and putting it on Thursday night or Monday night.

The second step is protecting the late-afternoon doubleheader games on Fox and CBS. Again, the NFL wants those games to be as attractive as possible, so it will try to put the best possible matchups in those windows. That might mean moving a game that was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m., or it could mean taking a game off of Sunday afternoon altogether and putting it on Thursday night or Monday night.

The third and final step is protecting the Sunday Night Football game on ESPN. Just like with NBC, the NFL wants its primetime games on ESPN to be as attractive as possible, so it will try to put the best possible matchup in that window. That might mean moving a game that was originally scheduled for 1 p

Week 11

The window for NFL games to be “flexed,” or moved from their originally scheduled time slot to a better, more attractive time slot, begins in Week 11. That’s when the league can start moving games on Sunday afternoon to the primetime slot on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”

The NFL can also move games from Fox’s traditional 1 p.m. ET slot to 4:05 or 4:25 p.m. ET. In some cases, the league will also move a game from CBS’ afternoon slate to Fox’s laterwindow.

The window for games to be flexed ends in Week 16, which is when the NFL sets its schedule for the final two weeks of the season and the Wild Card weekend.

How Does Flexing Affect the Fans?

Flexible scheduling is a method the NFL uses to ensure quality matchups in both conference races and the playoff hunt late in the season. When Can NFL Games Be Flexed? The NFL can flex a game up to 12 days out from the originally scheduled date.How Does Flexing Affect the Fans? While the NFL contends that flexible scheduling is in the best interest of the fans, many fans are opposed to the practice.

Home games

schedule is set well in advance, and sometimes games that seemed like they would be major contests when the schedule was released turn out to be duds. In order to prevent low-quality games from being broadcast on primetime television, the NFL has a “flex scheduling” system that allows them to move some games to different timeslots.

Flex scheduling can only be used for games in Weeks 10-15 and 17. In those weeks, the NFL can move any game that is not already set for a national broadcast (i.e. Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, or Monday Night Football) into one of the following timeslots:

– Sunday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET
– Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET
– Sunday night at 8:20 p.m. ET

Away games

NFL games can be “flexed” into different time slots as late as six days before they are played. That means if, for example, the Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to play the Cleveland Browns at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, but the Steelers have a much better record than the Browns and will probably attract more viewers, the game can be “flexed” into a primetime slot on NBC that Sunday night.

Conclusion

The NFL has the option to flex games between Weeks 11-17. The games that can be flexed are limited to Sunday afternoon contests. The league must give notice 12 days prior to the game.