What Happens If an NFL Playoff Game Is Tied?
Contents
If an NFL playoff game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams will enter into a sudden death overtime period. This means that the first team to score any points during the overtime period will be declared the winner.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is the highest level of professional American football. It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. The Super Bowl is watched by an estimated one billion people worldwide every year.
What Happens If an NFL Playoff Game Is Tied?
In the event of a tie in an NFL playoff game, the following procedures will be put into effect in order to determine a winner. The first overtime period will be played like a regular game, with each team having a chance to score. If the score is still tied at the end of the first overtime period, a second overtime period will be played.
If the game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams will play overtime periods of 10 minutes each
If the game is tied at the end of regulation, the teams will play overtime periods of 10 minutes each. The team that scores first during overtime wins the game. If neither team scores during the overtime period, the game ends in a tie.
If the game is still tied after overtime, the teams will engage in a sudden death shootout
If the game is still tied after overtime, the teams will engage in a sudden death shootout. This means that each team will have one possession to score. If they score a touchdown, they win the game. If they don’t score, or if they score a field goal, the other team gets a turn. This process will continue until one team scores and the other doesn’t.
Conclusion
If the score is still tied at the end of overtime, the game ends in a tie. This hasn’t happened since 1971, when the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs played to a draw. In the rare event that it does happen, both teams are awarded a loss in the standings and head-to-head tiebreakers are used to determine playoff seeding.
