Who Gets The Ball After Halftime in the NFL?

If you’re a football fan, you probably know that the team that scores the most points at halftime usually goes on to win the game. But what happens when the score is tied at halftime? Who gets the ball?

Here’s a quick rundown of the NFL’s halftime rules:

The team that scored last in the first half gets the ball to start the third quarter.

If the score is tied at the end of the first half, the team that started the

The Coin Toss

The coin toss is a tradition that dates back to the early days of the NFL. It is a way to determine which team will get the ball first after halftime. The team that wins the coin toss can choose to either receive the ball or defer to the second half.

How the coin toss works

Before the coin toss, the referee will meet with the captains at midfield. The away captain will call the coin toss. The choices for each captain are to receive or kick off, choose which goal to defend, or defer their choice until the second half. The home captain always has the first choice.

After the decision has been made, the referee will toss the coin in front of both captains and one of the officials. While one official watches the coin in the air, another official stands between the two captains and calls out “heads” or “tails.” Once it has been determined how the coin landed, that captain’s choice is announced to the rest of the stadium and players.

The history of the coin toss

Before the coin toss, there was another way of deciding who got the ball. It was called the “knockout” and it was pretty much what it sounds like. Two players from each team would line up opposite each other and try to knock each other out with a single punch. The team that had the most players still standing at the end would get the ball.

The knockout was used in the NFL from 1934 until 1946, when it was replaced by the coin toss. The reason for the change was simple: too many players were getting injured. In one game in 1940, for example, six players were knocked out and had to be taken to the hospital.

The coin toss has been used ever since, and it’s now considered an important part of the game. It’s often seen as a way of giving each team an equal chance to win, and it’s also a way of deciding which team gets to choose which side of the field they want to start on.

The Kickoff

The kickoff is one of the most exciting plays in football. It can change the momentum of a game and often decides who wins and who loses. In the NFL, the kickoff typically happens at the start of each half and after each score. But who gets the ball after halftime?

How the kickoff works

In the NFL, the team that scores the most points in the first half of the game starts with the ball to begin the second half. This is called a kickoff. The kickoff is taken from the kicking team’s own 35-yard line, unless it is being kicked off from behind its own end zone, in which case it is taken from the 20-yard line.

The purpose of a kickoff is to give both teams a chance to score in each half. If one team scores early in the first half and then kicks off to the other team, that team has a chance to score before halftime. If the game is close, or if there is a lot of time left in the game, both teams will have a chance to score in the second half.

The history of the kickoff

In American football, the kickoff is the act of kicking the ball to start the game and/or to score points. It typically happens at the start of each half of play, after a touchdown or field goal is scored, and at the start of overtime. The kickoff is a distinct play from a drop kick or place kick. If it falls short of the end zone, it can be recovered by either team and returned.

The Possession Arrow

The NFL possession arrow is a system that was designed to prevent one team from having an unfair advantage over the other. The rule was put into place in 1972, and it states that the team that did not have possession of the ball at the start of the game will get the ball at the beginning of the second half. This gives both teams an equal chance to score points and win the game.

How the possession arrow works

In the NFL, the team that has the ball first at the start of each half is said to have “the advantage,” or “the ball.” However, this advantage can be negated by a number of factors, including a change in possession (e.g., an interception), a score, or a turnover on downs.

The team that last had the ball before halftime is said to have “the disadvantage,” or “the arrow.” The team with the arrow must surrender the ball to their opponents at the start of the second half.

The team with the advantage can choose to defer their choice to the second half, giving the team with the arrow first possession of the ball.

The history of the possession arrow

The NFL’s rules for who gets the ball to start the second half are a bit confusing, but they make more sense if you understand the history of the league’s “possession arrow.”

Before the NFL’s first Super Bowl in 1967, the coin toss before the game would determine which team got the ball first. The team that scored first would then get the ball to start the second half. This system resulted in some unfairness, as the team that scored first would often go on to win.

In order to try and level the playing field, the NFL came up with a new system: The coin toss would still determine which team got the ball first, but then each team would get the ball at least once in each half. This system is still used today, and is why we have a “possession arrow” pointing to whichever team did not have possession at halftime.

So, if you’re ever confused about who gets the ball after halftime in an NFL game, just remember: It all goes back to 1967 and the league’s attempt to create a fair game.