Which leads me to my follow-up, what if the second OT period ends with one team ahead? But that also seems pretty much impossible -- you could never run that much time off the clock without either scoring (either lead-changing score FTW, or a tying score to keep the game going) or turning it over on downs (and thus losing the game).
It's honestly a little muddled, but it seems like the first 2 OT periods would be like the first and second quarters of a game, and same for the 3rd and 4th OTs. So, ok, I see why it's simply end of first quarter procedure with the only difference being the 2 minute intermissions. That makes sense. Thanks.NFL Overtime Rules | NFL Football Operations
operations.nfl.com
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.
2024 NFL overtime rules: How does it work? Regular season vs. playoffs | FOX Sports
Here's everything you need to know about the NFL's overtime rules including regular season and playoff differences.www.foxsports.com
Playoff Overtime Rules
How does it work, and can a playoff game end in a tie?
Unlike regular-season games, which can end in a tie, postseason games can't.
Overtime rules in the postseason consist of as many 15-minute periods as are necessary until there is a winner, instead of the single 10-minute overtime period in the regular season. Both teams will now get at least one possession, even if the team that has the first possession scores a touchdown. If the team that got the ball first doesn't score a touchdown, or if the score is tied after each team has possessed the ball, the next score would end the game.
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.
If the team that possesses the ball first commits a safety on the initial possession, the kickoff team would win and the game would end there, which is also true in the regular season.
Other details to keep in mind:
- There are no coaches’ challenges in overtime. All replay reviews will be initiated by the replay official.
- Each team gets three timeouts during a half (two overtime periods), as opposed to two timeouts during overtime in the regular season.
- The intermission between the end of regular time and the first overtime period is no more than three minutes.
- There’s a two-minute intermission between each overtime period, but no halftime intermission after the second.
- At the beginning of the third overtime 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.
- If there’s still no winner at the end of a fourth overtime period, there will be another coin toss.
End of the first OT, yes. End of the 2nd OT would be sorta like halftime.
Yeah 15 minutes not 10, but the rules state they play another overtime period if the drive isn’t over. Does that mean they finish the period or if chiefs take the lead then the game is over? Seems like a gray area I interpret it to mean they play a whole nother period…
A 6th quarter. My question is if the chiefs take the lead in the 6th quarter, does that mean the game is over or do they play out the quarter? Also, after both teams possess the ball does it become sudden death where next score wins? Doesn’t seem explained very well in the rules.
A previous post in this thread makes a good point: this new setup for the NFL changes the better strategy to what coaches have been doing in college football for years now -- defer if you win the toss.
Although it has been pointed out that there is a slight issue with deferring, if you do that, and you end up in a situation where it's still tied after both teams have had a possession. It seems to me you'd want to be the team who gets the ball first when sudden death starts.
But in college both teams are guaranteed to get the ball an equal number of times. I think the NFL needs to just give them the ball at the 35 going in and be done with it. More like college rules. I hardly see the point of the clock even running yesterday in the Super Bowl.
Are you serious? It was a dumb move.
Good point about both teams guaranteed equal touches in college OT, but I remain vehemently opposed to just spotting the ball at an arbitrary yard line. Football is played on a 100-yard field. OT should be no different in that respect.
The way I understand the rules, if Chiefs would have taken their initial possession of OT into 6th quarter and scored a TD the game is over, pretty much like it did in 5th quarter. The only way the 6th quarter would continue is if the Chiefs ended up kicking a FG and tying the game. Then whichever team makes the next score wins.
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