If you’re here, you might be wondering: If the NFL game you’re watching goes to overtime, what are the rules? Will your favorite team get to possess the ball even if the opposition scores?
We’ll get to that.
First off: There are new rules for overtime this year … but they’re specifically for the NFL postseason. The regular season rules are the same as they were for the previous year.
And what are those rules? We’ll paste them below, but the TL;DR is this: A coin toss determines who gets the ball, a touchdown in the opening possession ends the game. A field goal leads to the other team getting possession.
If the first team doesn’t score to begin overtime, it’s sudden death: next core of any kind wins.
- At the end of regulation, the referee will toss a coin to determine which team will possess the ball first in overtime. The visiting team captain will call the toss.
- No more than one 10-minute period will follow a three-minute intermission. Each team must possess, or have the opportunity to possess, the ball. The exception: if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on the opening possession.
- Sudden death play — where the game ends on any score (safety, field goal or touchdown) — continues until a winner is determined.
- Each team gets two timeouts.
- The point after try is not attempted if the game ends on a touchdown.
- If the score is still tied at the end of the overtime period, the result of the game will be recorded as a tie.
- There are no instant replay coach’s challenges; all reviews will be initiated by the replay official.
To reiterate: This is for regular season only!
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