There are very few things in sports that provide the same intensity and drama as the NFL playoffs. Every snap, every yard, every decision is magnified and scrutinized. The stakes are as high as they could possibly get.
And that’s when the game is in regulation. Everything gets even more stressful during overtime. That’s why execution is key—and why fans will celebrate the players and coaches who made it happen when the weight of the sports world was on their shoulders.
Still, while the victors emerge as heroes, there has been plenty of criticism of the NFL’s postseason overtime rules over the years. As a result, the league has recently changed its rulebook. But the debates haven’t quite ended.
Which might be because so many games are either going to overtime, or close to it. According to the NFL, 70% of all games in the 2023 season were within one score in the fourth quarter.
So let’s unpack the overtime system from its roots to its latest tweaks, exploring how some controversial endings shaped the rulebook, why fans and analysts remain divided and what strategies teams use to gain the upper hand in these win-or-go-home situations.
Historical Context of NFL Overtime Rules
From 1974 until 2010, tied scores at the end of regulation were decided with a 15-minute “sudden-death” overtime period.
In 2010, the rules were changed by the NFL, with the result being a modified sudden death. A field goal would no longer end a game if it was the first possession of overtime (in the playoffs). Instead, if the first team to possess the ball in overtime kicked a field goal, then the other team would receive a possession. If the first team to possess the ball scored a touchdown, then the game would end.
A few years later, in 2017, the NFL would alter the length of the overtime period, shortening it to 10 minutes.
For the 2023 season, more changes were made. Now, both teams were guaranteed a possession in overtime.
The move came after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 42–36 in the AFC divisional round in 2022, but the NFL’s overtime rules had always been criticized.
For some, they felt that an entire game came down to an overtime coin flip. Whoever won the toss would just need to get into field goal range to potentially end the contest. But others pointed out that defensive players and coaches have a responsibility to force a turnover or a punt.
Current NFL Overtime Rules Overview
The NFL uses different overtime rules for the regular season and playoffs. Below is the official summary of both sets, from the NFL Operations Office.
Regular Season Overtime Rules
Following regulation, a coin toss will determine which team will take first possession of the ball. The visiting team’s captain will call heads or tails.
Only one 10-minute overtime period will be allowed. Each team must have the opportunity to possess the ball, with the exception being if the first team scores a touchdown.
The game will end on any score following the first possession.
If the score remains tied at the end of the 10-minute overtime period, the game ends in a tie.
Playoff Overtime Rules
Playoff games cannot end in a tie. If the score remains tied at the end of an overtime period, or if the second team’s initial possession has yet to end, another overtime period will be played.
Play will continue until the winner is determined.
Each team will have the opportunity to possess the ball in overtime.
Criticisms and Controversies Surrounding NFL Overtime Rules
One of the biggest criticisms of the NFL’s overtime rule pre-2023 was that the overtime period represented a much different game than the previous 60 minutes did.
From 2010–22, there were 11 playoff games that went to overtime. According to the NFL, the team that won the coin toss won 10 of those games. Seven won the game using the sudden-death touchdown on the opening drive.
Many claim that an entire game was being thrown out the window over a coin toss. Considering the team that won the toss won 91% of those games, maybe they were right.
But many fans argued that the overtime rules shouldn’t come as some sort of surprise and that teams had a full 60-minute game to secure a victory. And even if the game does go to overtime, there are professional defensive coaches and players whose job is to prevent points from going on the board.
Everything came to a head following the Chiefs’ comeback victory over the Bills on Jan. 22, 2023.
The teams combined for 25 points in the final two minutes of regulation. Trailing by three with 13 seconds left to play, Patrick Mahomes picked up 44 yards on two plays to set up a 49-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.
Kansas City won the coin toss and scored eight plays later. Buffalo put up 422 total yards and never turned the ball over. Wide receiver Gabriel Davis caught eight passes for 201 yards and a playoff-record four touchdowns.
But the Bills never touched the football.
Considering the game left a bitter taste in the mouth of just about everyone with a connection to football (with the exception being those who live in Missouri), the NFL owners approved a rule change guaranteeing both teams a possession.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Super Bowl & NFL Postseason Overtime Rules, Explained.