How Does Overtime Work in the NFL?
How Does Overtime Work in the NFL?
The overtime rules for the National Football League (NFL) are different from the rules used in any other sport. In the NFL, the overtime period is fifteen minutes long. Each team is given two timeouts, and the clock does not stop for first downs. The team that scores first wins the game.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) overtime rules are articulated in the league’s rulebook in Section 5, Article 1, and are similar to the college football overtime rules. Both sets of rules allow each team the opportunity to possess the ball at least once during overtime if the score is tied at the end of regulation. The major differences involve what happens if the teams are still tied after each team has had one possession.
How Does Overtime Work in the NFL?
In the NFL, overtime is a way to extend the game to determine a winner if the score is tied at the end of regulation time. Each team gets one possession to score, and if the score is still tied, the game goes into sudden death. In sudden death, the first team to score wins the game, regardless of how many points they score.
The Coin Toss
The first step in the NFL overtime process is the coin toss. The captain of the team that wins the pre-overtime coin toss has two options: they can choose to have their offense take the ball first or they can opt to play defense first. And that’s it, really — there’s no catch.
If the team with first choice decides to play offense, their opponents will automatically get the ball at the start of the second half of overtime. If the team with first choice decides to play defense, they will get to play defense twice in overtime if necessary. But again, this is all subject to change if either team scores a touchdown on their first drive.
Sudden Death
In the NFL, if the score is tied at the end of regulation play, the game enters into sudden death overtime. This means that the first team to score wins the game, regardless of how long it takes to do so or how many possessions each team has. In other words, if Team A scores a touchdown on its first drive of overtime, Team B doesn’t get a chance to match that score and the game is over.
The Drive
When the game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams will head into overtime. In overtime, each team will get one possession to score. The team that scores first wins the game.
If neither team scores, the game will end in a tie.
Conclusion
In the NFL, overtime is used as a way to extend the game and give both teams an equal chance to score. Each team is given one possession, starting at the opposing team’s 25-yard line, with no timeouts. If both teams are still tied after each team has had a possession, then the game goes into sudden death, meaning the first team to score wins.
