When Does the NFL Flex Games?
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Wondering when the NFL will flex games this season? Here’s a look at the criteria the league uses to make that decision.
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Introduction
The NFL’s “Flexible Scheduling” begins in Week 5 of the regular season and continues through the final week of the season. The idea behind Flexible Scheduling is to make sure that the best possible matchups are being shown on Sunday Night Football each week. This can mean moving a less-attractive game from an early time slot to primetime, or vice versa. It can also mean moving a game from one day (usually Sunday) to another day (usually Monday or Thursday).
What is the NFL Flex Schedule?
The NFL Flex Schedule is a system that the league uses to determine which games will be played in a given week. The schedule is designed to provide the most competitive and interesting matchups possible, and it is typically used in Weeks 11-16 of the NFL season.
In order to flex a game, the NFL must give at least 12 days notice to the teams involved, as well as to the networks that will be broadcasting the game. The league also considers a number of factors when making its decision, including divisional standings, recent results, weather conditions, and any potential playoff implications.
Once the decision has been made to flex a game, the league then determines which games will be played in their place. In some cases, this will mean moving a game from one time slot to another (such as from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night). In other cases, it may mean moving a game from one network to another (such as from CBS to FOX).
The NFL Flex Schedule is generally announced no later than Week 8 of the season, although the league does reserve the right to make changes up until Week 12.
How does the NFL Flex Schedule Work?
The NFL has a 16-game regular season schedule. Each team plays the other teams in their own division twice a year. They also play two additional games against teams in another division within their conference. The final two games on each team’s schedule are determined by the previous year’s standings. The better a team did the previous year, the weaker their opponents will be in the final two games.
The NFL schedule is released in April, but is subject to change due to the NFL flex scheduling system. The NFL has the option to “flex” (change) certain Sunday games to a different timeslot if they believe it will draw a larger television audience. The NFL can flex a game up to 12 days before kickoff. Once a game is flexed, it cannot be changed back to the original time slot.
The NFL has used flex scheduling since 2006.
Why does the NFL use a Flex Schedule?
The NFL’s Flexible Scheduling Program is designed to ensure quality matchups in all NFL Sunday time slots in those weeks whereairemier games are not being played.
The program works like this: During Weeks 10-15, the NFL schedule may be adjusted by moving one game that was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon to Sunday night. Usually, the game that is moved is announced on 12-day notice, but sometimes it is made on 6-day notice.
The decision to move a game to Sunday night will be made jointly by the NFL Office, NBC Sports, and CBS Sports (in Weeks 10-15 only).
In addition, for Weeks 5-9, the NFL may also move games between 1:00 p.m. and 4:05 p.m. ET or 4:25 p.m. ET on Sundays to provide a doubleheader on one of the networks (CBS or FOX). These games are also announced on 12-day notice.
When are the NFL Flex Games?
The NFL Flex Games are the ones that are most likely to be moved to a prime-time slot, either on Sunday evenings or on Monday or Thursday nights.
The NFL has the option to choose which game will be flexed into the Sunday Night Football slot beginning in Week 11. The game must be between two divisional opponents, and must have playoff implications.
How does the NFL Flex Schedule Affect Betting?
The NFL has a fairly unique system for scheduling games during the season. Unlike other sports leagues, the NFL has a “flex” schedule, which means that games can be moved around to different times and days. This can be done for a variety of reasons, such as increasing ratings or accommodating weather conditions.
While the flex schedule system can be beneficial for fans, it can also create headaches for bettors. If you have placed a bet on a certain team to win on a specific day, but the game is then moved to a different day or time, your bet may no longer be valid.
To avoid this type of situation, it’s important to keep up with the latest NFL flex schedule changes. This way, you’ll know exactly when and where each game is being played, and you can adjust your bets accordingly.
Conclusion
The NFL has the right to flex a Sunday game to the primetime slot as late as 12 days before the game. In most cases, the decision is made on Tuesday or Wednesday preceding the week of flexing. The only reason the NFL would flex a game to a different timeslot would be because they believe that it would be more entertaining for fans than the games originally scheduled in that time slot.
