NFL overtime is an extra period played when the score is tied at the end of regulation. In the regular season it is a single 10-minute period using a modified sudden-death format in which both teams are guaranteed at least one possession, and the game can still end in a tie. Playoff overtime guarantees each team a possession and keeps going until there is a winner.
Why overtime happens
A standard NFL game is 60 minutes long, split into four quarters. If both teams are level when that time expires, the game goes to overtime to try to determine a winner. Before the extra period, officials hold a coin toss; the visiting team calls it, and the winner typically chooses to receive the ball first, though it may instead elect which end to defend.
The regular-season format
Regular-season overtime is a single period of 10 minutes. It uses a modified sudden-death system rather than pure sudden death. Under pure sudden death, any score would end the game instantly. The NFL’s modified version adds an important guarantee: both teams get a chance to possess the ball, unless the team that has it first scores a touchdown on that opening drive.
Here is how the possession rule plays out. If the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on its opening possession, the game is over and it wins. If that team instead kicks a field goal, the other team gets a possession to respond. If the first team fails to score at all, the other team can win with any score. Once both teams have had a possession, the game reverts to true sudden death, and the next score of any kind wins.
Ties are still possible
Because the regular-season period is capped at 10 minutes, a game can end without a winner. If neither team is ahead when the clock hits zero, the result is recorded as a tie. Ties are uncommon, but they are a genuine outcome of the regular-season format and factor into the standings.
How playoff overtime differs
The playoffs cannot end in a tie, so the format changes to ensure a decisive result. In postseason overtime, both teams are guaranteed a possession no matter what happens on the first drive, including if the first team scores a touchdown. Periods are 15 minutes long, and if the teams remain level after both have had the ball, play continues into additional periods until one team is ahead at the end of a period. There is a short intermission between periods as needed.
| Feature | Regular season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Period length | 10 minutes | 15 minutes |
| Both teams guaranteed a possession | Yes | Yes |
| Can end in a tie | Yes | No |
| Continues until a winner | No (single period) | Yes |
Strategy in overtime
Because both teams may get the ball, the coin-toss winner must weigh whether to prioritize scoring first or forcing the opponent to score under pressure. A team that opens with a field goal knows its opponent will get a chance to answer, so decisions about whether to go for two earlier in the game, when to punt, and how aggressively to convert a first down all feed into overtime positioning. Field position and clock management become especially valuable when a single scoring drive can decide the game.
The clock adds another layer. In the regular season, the 10-minute cap means a team that wins the toss cannot simply sit on the ball, because running too much time off the clock could leave no opportunity to respond if the opponent answers. Teams must balance the urge to control possession against the reality that the period will not last forever. In the playoffs, where the game continues until there is a winner, the calculus shifts toward sustained, mistake-free drives rather than racing the clock, since there is always another period if the score stays level.
Defensively, overtime rewards units that can force a punt or a turnover on the opening possession, because doing so hands their own offense a chance to win with any score. That is why the coin toss draws so much attention: while receiving first is usually the popular choice, the guaranteed-possession rule means the decision is less lopsided than it once was under pure sudden death.
The bottom line
Overtime rules have evolved to make the extra period fairer, chiefly by guaranteeing both teams a chance with the ball. According to the NFL, the current framework balances the desire for a clean, timely finish in the regular season with the postseason’s requirement that every game produce a winner. The distinction matters most in high-stakes games, including the deciding rounds explained in our guide to how the NFL playoffs work.
Frequently asked questions
How long is NFL overtime?
In the regular season, overtime is a single period of 10 minutes. Playoff overtime is played in 15-minute periods and continues until one team wins.
Does the first team to score win in overtime?
Not automatically. If the team with the ball first scores only a field goal, the other team gets a possession to answer. A first-possession touchdown ends a regular-season game, while playoff rules always give both teams a possession.
Can an NFL game end in a tie?
Yes, in the regular season. If neither team is ahead when the 10-minute overtime period expires, the game is recorded as a tie. Playoff games cannot end in a tie.
How is it decided who gets the ball first?
A coin toss before overtime determines which team may choose to receive the ball or defend an end. The visiting team calls the toss.
How is playoff overtime different?
In the playoffs, both teams are guaranteed a possession, periods are 15 minutes, and play continues through as many periods as needed until one team is ahead at the end of a period, ensuring a winner.
