How Does NFL Overtime Work in 2020?

How does overtime work in the NFL? The league has had a few rule changes over the years, so let’s break it down so you know what to expect come game time.

Introduction

In the NFL, if a game is tied at the end of regulation, each team gets an opportunity to possess the ball. This is done by each team getting one possession from their own 25-yard line. If both teams score touchdowns on their possessions, or if both teams don’t score, the game ends in a tie. If one team scores a touchdown and the other team doesn’t, the team that scored the touchdown wins.

How NFL Overtime Works

NFL overtime is a single, 10-minute period during which each team gets one possession to score. If the score is still tied after the 10 minutes are up, the game ends in a tie. The only exception to this is if the team that wins the coin toss scores a touchdown on their first possession, in which case the game ends immediately and that team is declared the winner.

The Coin Toss

The NFL overtime rules have undergone some changes in recent years, but the basic premise remains the same: each team gets a chance to possess the ball, and the team that scores the most points wins.

The overtime period starts with a coin toss, just like the start of the game. The captain of the visiting team calls heads or tails, and if he correctly predicts the outcome of the toss, his team gets to choose whether to receive or kick off. If he loses the toss, his team must kick off.

Once that decision is made, play proceeds just like a regular game, with each team gettings four downs to try and score. If both teams are tied at the end of regulation (i.e., after each team has had one possession), then overtime continues until one team scores and the other doesn’t. This can happen in two ways: either one team scores a touchdown on its first possession and then kicks a successful extra point, or one team kicks a field goal on its first possession. Field goals are worth three points, so if one team kicks a field goal and then its opponent subsequently scores a touchdown (worth six points), then that touchdown still wins the game.

Possession First

Possession first means that the team that starts with the ball can score a touchdown and win, but if they only kick a field goal, the other team gets a chance to possessions. If both teams score touchdowns, or both teams kick field goals, then it goes to sudden death. The next team to score any points wins.

Sudden Death

In 2020, the NFL introduced a new rule for overtime in the regular season. In the past, if the score was still tied after both teams had an opportunity to possess the ball for one extra offensive series (each team got at least one possession), the game would end in a tie. Now, if the score is tied at the end of regulation, each team will get one chance to score. If they are still tied after that, then it will go to sudden death. Whoever scores first in overtime wins the game.

Modified Sudden Death

In 2020, the NFL approved a modified sudden death format for regular season games. In this system, if the score is still tied at the end of the first overtime period, each team will get one possession. If the score remains tied after both teams have had a possession, or if one team has taken the lead but the other team hasn’t had a chance to possess the ball yet in overtime, then sudden death rules will apply and whichever team scores first will win the game.

Conclusion

In conclusion, NFL overtime is a great way to add excitement and suspense to the game. It is also a fair way to determine a winner in the event that the game is tied at the end of regulation. The new rules for 2020 should help to make the overtime period even more exciting and fair.