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how does ot work in the nfl

Overtime in the NFL is an extra period used to break a tie after four quarters, and as of the mid‑2020s the rules are designed so both teams are guaranteed at least one possession in most situations. The exact structure is slightly different in the regular season vs. the playoffs, but the core idea is: short extra period, coin toss to start, and the game ends as soon as one team leads after both have had a fair shot with the ball.

Basic setup

  • If the game is tied after regulation, they go to overtime with a brief break and a new coin toss to decide who gets the ball first.
  • The visiting team calls the toss; the winner usually chooses to receive, though they can choose which goal to defend instead.
  • The clock runs like normal football: game clock plus play clock, timeouts, and standard timing rules near the end of the period.

Regular season overtime

  • Overtime is one 10‑minute period in the regular season.
  • Both teams are now guaranteed a possession even if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown, unless the defense scores a safety or touchdown on that first drive, which ends the game immediately.
  • If the score is still tied after both teams have had the ball and time remains, the next score of any kind (field goal, touchdown, safety) wins “sudden death” style.

When regular‑season OT can still end in a tie

  • The period is capped at 10 minutes, so if the score is still tied when the clock hits zero, the game ends in a tie during the regular season.
  • It’s also possible, though rare, for a long first drive to basically eat up the entire OT clock; in that case the game can end without the second team ever getting the ball, even under the newer rules.
  • Ties only happen in the regular season; in the playoffs the game continues until someone wins.

Playoff overtime differences

  • In the postseason, they use multiple overtime periods of 15 minutes each, and they will keep adding periods until there is a winner.
  • Just like the updated regular‑season rules, both teams are guaranteed at least one possession in postseason overtime, regardless of what happens on the opening drive, unless the defense scores on that first possession.
  • After each full OT period, if the game is still tied, they take a short break, then start another period, with special rules about who gets to choose possession or direction on later coin tosses.

Timeouts, reviews, and little details

  • In regular‑season OT, each team gets fewer timeouts than in a half of regulation; in playoff OT, each “half” of overtime gives teams three timeouts.
  • Coaches cannot throw challenge flags in overtime; all reviews are initiated by the replay official upstairs.
  • The same end‑of‑half timing rules (for example, clock stopping on out‑of‑bounds plays and inside the final two minutes) apply at the end of overtime periods as at the end of the second and fourth quarters.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.