With the NFL more balanced than ever, it’s hard to predict game-winners. Many games come down to the final moments, and sometimes they even go into overtime. In these situations, teams must dig deep to keep playing. Overtime games require strategic planning, but knowing the rules is crucial, even if they are complex. So, what are the NFL’s overtime rules for 2024?
NFL Overtime Rule In The Regular Season
If a regular-season game ends in a tie, each team gets two extra timeouts. The visiting team’s captain will call a coin toss to see who gets the ball first. Overtime lasts for 10 minutes and follows a modified sudden-death format to find a clear winner.
Under the current rules, both teams have a chance to possess the ball. If the first team to get the ball scores a touchdown, the game ends right there. If the first team only scores a field goal, the other team gets a chance to tie or win with a touchdown.
Should neither team score on its first possession, the game moves into sudden death, where any score ends it immediately. When the overtime period concludes without a winner, the game is recorded as a tie, which can complicate the playoff standings.
While ties aren’t ideal, they help keep players safe during the regular season. However, in the playoffs, a winner must be decided.
NFL Overtime Rule In The Playoffs
In 2022, the NFL changed the rules for playoff overtime to ensure both teams get a chance to score, even if the first team gets a touchdown. If the second team matches that score, the game continues.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
If the first overtime period ends and no one has won, a new overtime period starts. The team that lost the first coin toss gets to choose whether to take the ball or pick which goal to defend.
If no one scores, both teams will keep playing additional overtime periods until one team wins, with short breaks in between. If it remains tied after four periods, they will do another coin toss and continue playing until there’s a winner.
The NFL first introduced a modified sudden-death system for playoff games in 2010. The league expanded this to all games in 2012. In 2017, they reduced regular-season overtime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for player safety. The latest change in 2022 ensured both teams had a chance to score in playoff overtime.
Also Read: Is The NFL’s Focus On Safety Hurting The Game By Fining CeeDee Lamb For Helmet Use?
