How Does Overtime Work in the NFL?
Contents
How does overtime work in the NFL? The answer may surprise you.
Introduction
Overtime in the NFL is a sudden death format, meaning that the first team to score wins the game. Each team gets one possession, and if the game is still tied, then they move on to a second overtime period. If the game is still tied after that, then they move on to a third overtime period, and so on until someone finally scores.
How Does Overtime Work in the NFL?
In the NFL, if a game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams will play a fifteen-minute overtime period to try and determine a winner. The team that wins the coin toss will have the option to either receive the ball or choose which end of the field they would like to defend.
The Coin Toss
At the start of overtime, a coin toss is held to determine which team will start with the ball. The winner of the coin toss can choose to either:
-receive the opening kickoff and start on offense, or
-defer their choice to the start of the second half and kick off to their opponents.
If they defer, and the other team scores a touchdown on their first possession, the game is over. However, if the team that defers scores a field goal on their first possession, then they win the game.
If the team that wins the coin toss chooses to kick off, then they can lose if the other team scores a touchdown on their first drive. In this case, however, if they score a field goal on their first drive, then they will force a second overtime period.
Sudden Death
In the National Football League (NFL), if a game is tied at the end of regulation time, a single period of overtime will be played. During overtime, each team will have the opportunity to possess the ball once (known as “possessions”), with the team that scores the most points during their respective possession being declared the winner. If both teams score a touchdown and the extra point during their first possession, or if both teams kick a field goal during their first possession, the second team to possess the ball will have an opportunity to either score a touchdown and win outright, or score a field goal to tie the game. If they fail to do either, thenAlthough preseason and regular season games cannot end in a tie, postseason games can end in a tie if neither team scores during overtime.
The NFL implemented sudden death rules for regular season games in 1974. Prior to that season, games would end in a tie if neither team scored after one full overtime period.
The “First Possession” Rule
In the NFL, overtime is used as a way to extend the game and determine a winner if the score is tied at the end of regulation.
The “first possession” rule is used in overtime. This means that the team that wins the coin toss gets to choose whether they want to play offense or defense first. If they choose to play offense, they get the ball at their own 25-yard line and have one chance (4 downs) to score. If they score a touchdown, they win the game. If they don’t score a touchdown, their opponents (the other team) get a chance to play offense and try and score.
If both teams score touchdowns on their first drives (or if neither team scores), then it becomes a true “sudden death” overtime where whoever scores first, wins. In order for a team to score in sudden death, they must score a touchdown or field goal on any drive where they have possession of the ball.
How has Overtime Changed in the NFL?
In the NFL, overtime is used during the regular season and playoffs. The rules for overtime have changed several times throughout the history of the NFL. The most recent change happened in 2017, when the NFL decided to shorten overtime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes. This change was made in an effort to reduce the number of injuries that occur during overtime.
The “Modified Sudden Death” Rule
In 2010, the NFL’s overtime rules underwent a significant change. This change was made in an effort to reduce the number of games that were decided by a field goal on the first drive of overtime. Under the new “modified sudden death” rule, if the team that wins the coin toss scores a field goal on their first drive, the other team is given a chance to score. If they score a touchdown, they win the game. If they don’t score or if they also kick a field goal, the game ends in a tie.
The “10-Minute” Rule
The “10-Minute” Rule was instituted in 2017, and it stipulates that if the score is tied at the end of regulation, each team is guaranteed at least one offensive possession. From there, the game proceeds in a sudden death format, meaning that the next team to score wins. However, if the team that starts on offense scores a touchdown on its opening drive, the game ends immediately – even if the other team has not had a chance to possess the ball yet. Previously, there was no minimum number of offensive possessions in overtime, which led to some controversial endings (most notably the 2014 NFC Championship game).
Conclusion
Overtime in the NFL consists of each team possessing the ball until they score, or fail to gain 10 yards, whichever comes first. If both teams score a touchdown and convert their extra point on their first drive, the game ends in a tie. If one team scores a touchdown and the other team doesn’t, the game is over and that team wins. If neither team scores, or if both teams kick field goals on their first drive, the game enters sudden death mode. In sudden death, the first team to score wins, even if it’s just a field goal.
