Sep 10, 2025 2:16 PM EDT
The NFL’s overtime rules have evolved through the years, and there is an important new rule in that has been added for the 2025 regular season.
It wasn’t until 1974 that the NFL adopted overtime for regular-season games in the first place. For the next 36 years, the platform was sudden-death overtime — meaning the team that wins the overtime coin toss could kick a field goal on its first possession and the other team would never get a possession.
It was 15 years ago, prior to the start of the 2010 season, that owners voted to amend the postseason overtime format, guaranteeing both teams at least one possession if the receiving team fails to score a touchdown on its first possession (if the defense scores a touchdown or safety on the opening possession, the game is over). In 2012, that rule was extended to the regular season as well.
Then came the epic 2021 AFC divisional playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. With 13 seconds left in regulation and down by three, Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs on an improbably drive to set up a game-tying field goal. The Chiefs won the overtime coin toss and marched down the field. Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for the game-winning touchdown, so Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense never touched the ball in overtime.
The NFL acted fast to rectify that scenario. Prior to the start of the 2022 season, owners approved the rule — strictly for the postseason — guaranteeing both teams at least one overtime possession even if the receiving team scores a touchdown on its first possession.
For the 2025 season, the NFL voted to extend this rule to regular-season games.
Here are the official overtime rules as presented on the NFL’s Football Operations site:
Overtime rules for NFL regular season
• 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 have the opportunity to possess the ball. The exception: if the team kicking off to start the overtime period scores a safety on the receiving team’s initial possession, in which case the team that kicked off is the winner.
• After each team has had an opportunity to possess the ball, if one team has more points than its opponent, it is the winner (subject to the General Rules Applicable to Overtime). If the team that possesses the ball first does not score on its initial possession, or if the score is tied after each team has had its opportunity to possess the ball, the team that scores next, by any method, is the winner.
• Each team gets two timeouts.
• 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.
Overtime rules for NFL postseason games
• Unlike regular season games, postseason games cannot end in a tie, so the overtime rules change slightly for the playoffs.
• If the score is still tied at the end of an overtime period — or if the second team’s initial possession has not ended — the teams will play another overtime period. Play will continue regardless of how many overtime periods are needed for a winner to be determined.
• There will be a two-minute intermission between each overtime period. There will not be a halftime intermission after the second period.
• The captain who lost the first overtime coin toss will either choose to possess the ball or select which goal his team will defend, unless the team that won the coin toss deferred that choice.
• Each team will have an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime.
• Each team gets three timeouts during a half.
• The same timing rules that apply at the end of the second and fourth regulation periods also apply at the end of a second or fourth overtime period.
• If there is still no winner at the end of a fourth overtime period, there will be another coin toss, and play will continue until a winner is declared.
About the author
Athlon Sports senior editor