What Are the NFL Tiebreaker Rules?
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If you’re a football fan, you probably know that the NFL has a lot of rules. But do you know what the tiebreaker rules are? In this blog post, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the NFL’s tiebreaker rules.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) has a set of tiebreaker rules that are used to determine which team will win a division or make the playoffs if two or more teams are tied in the standings.
These tiebreaker rules are used in the following situations:
-If two teams have the same record and are tied in the standings, the team with the better head-to-head record will win the division or make the playoffs.
-If two teams have the same record and are tied in the standings, and they did not play each other during the regular season, then the team with the better record in conference games will win the division or make the playoffs.
-If two teams have the same record and are tied in the standings, and they both played each other during the regular season and had identical records in conference games, then a series of tiebreakers are used to determine which team will win the division or make the playoffs. These tiebreakers include strength of schedule, record in common games, and finally a coin toss.
NFL overtime rules
If the score is tied at the end of regulation time, the team that currently possess the ball will have an opportunity to score. This is known as “sudden death.” If they score a touchdown or field goal, they win the game. If they fail to score, or if their drive results in a safety, then the other team will have a chance to score. The first team to score during sudden death wins the game.
If neither team scores during sudden death, then the game will go into overtime. During overtime, each team will have one possession to score. The team that scores first wins the game. If neither team scores during overtime, then the game will end in a tie.
The sudden death rule
In the NFL, if a game is tied after regulation time, there is a sudden death overtime period. The sudden death overtime period is used in the regular season and playoffs. During the regular season, each team gets one possession to score. If both teams are still tied after each team has had one possession, then the game ends in a tie.
In the playoffs, there is no limit to how many overtimes there can be. Each team gets one possession to score until one team scores and the other team doesn’t. The team that scores first in any overtime period wins the game.
How do NFL teams break ties during the regular season?
If two or more clubs finish the regular season with the same record, the following steps will be taken until a winner is determined.
#1) If two clubs are tied, and have not played an equal number of home games against each other, then the club that has had more home games against the other receives the higher seeding.
#2) If two clubs are tied, and both have played an equal number of home games against each other, then the club that has the better net points differential in all games shall receive the higher seeding.
#3) If two clubs are tied, and both have identical won-lost-tied records against common opponents (INCLUDING any figure compiled via Step 1 above), net points differential in all common games (regardless of whether they were played at one club’s stadium or not), then the club with the better net total points differential for ALL GAMES shall receive
How are NFL playoff seeding tiebreakers determined?
There are a total of eight NFL playoff seeds — four in each conference. The conference championship game is played between the two division winners with the best records. The four remaining teams in each conference compete in the first round of the playoffs, also known as the Wild Card round.
The seeding tiebreakers are broken down into two categories: head-to-head and conference record. If two teams are tied in both categories, then the next tiebreaker is common opponents. In the unlikely event that teams are still tied after that, the final tiebreaker is decided by a coin toss.
Head-to-Head
If two teams have identical records and split their season series, then the first tiebreaker is head-to-head competition. If three or more teams are tied based on head-to-head results, then the next tiebreaker would be record against common opponents.
NFL Conference Record
This is self explanatory — it’s simply a team’s record against other teams in their own conference. NFL playoff seeding is usually determined by this criteria.
Common Opponents
This compares each team’s record against common opponents — defined as opponents they have both played who have identical records themselves.
Coin Toss
This is a last resort used to break any remaining ties.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NFL tiebreaker rules are as follows:
• If two teams have the same record, the team with the better head-to-head record will win the tiebreaker.
• If two teams have identical records and haven’t played each other, the team with the better conference record will win the tiebreaker.
• If two teams have identical records and haven’t played each other or they have identical conference records, the team with the better record in common games will win the tiebreaker.
• If two teams have identical records and there is no clear winner based on head-to-head, conference, or common games, a coin flip will be used to determine who wins the tiebreaker.
