Referee seen from behind tossing a coin at midfield under night floodlights before overtime

NFL Overtime Rules 2026: Regular Season vs Playoffs

September 28, 2026

NFL overtime rules in 2026 give both teams a chance to possess the ball in the regular season and the playoffs, unless the kicking team scores a safety on the opening drive. After each team has had its chance, the team ahead wins, and if the score is still tied, the next score of any kind wins. The key difference: regular season overtime is one 10-minute period that can end in a tie, while playoff overtime uses 15-minute periods and keeps going until someone wins (2026 NFL Rulebook, Rule 16).

Nothing about overtime changed for 2026. The five playing rule changes owners approved this year cover kickoffs, onside kicks and officiating, not overtime (NFL.com).

How does NFL overtime work in 2026?

NFL overtime follows the same opening steps in every regular season and playoff game, per Rule 16 of the 2026 rulebook:

Regulation ends tied. The referee tosses a coin at midfield, and the visiting captain calls it again.
After an intermission of no more than three minutes, the extra period starts with a kickoff.
Both teams must get the opportunity to possess the ball. The only exception is a safety by the kicking team on the receiving team's first possession, which ends the game.
After both teams have had that opportunity, the team with more points wins.
If the first team does not score, or the score is tied after both possessions, the game becomes sudden death: the next score by any method wins.

A touchdown on the opening drive no longer ends an NFL game in 2026. The other team always gets its answer, clock permitting.

NFL overtime rules: regular season vs playoffs

Rule	Regular season	Playoffs
Period length	10 minutes	15 minutes
Number of periods	Maximum of one	Unlimited, until there is a winner
Both teams guaranteed a possession	Yes, unless the 10 minutes run out first	Yes
Can end in a tie	Yes	No
Timeouts	2 per team	3 per team per half
Coaches' challenges	None; all reviews start with the replay official	None; all reviews start with the replay official
Break before overtime	Up to 3 minutes	Up to 3 minutes, then 2 minutes between periods

Source: 2026 NFL Rulebook, Rule 16.

Do both teams get the ball in NFL overtime?

Both teams get the ball in NFL overtime in almost every case, with two exceptions. The first is a safety on the opening possession, which wins the game for the kicking team. The second applies only to the regular season: there is one 10-minute period, "even if the second team has not had an opportunity to possess the ball or if its initial possession has not ended." A team that receives first and holds the ball for all 10 minutes can win or tie without the opponent ever touching it.

The rulebook defines the "opportunity to possess" around kicking plays. The opening kickoff counts as the receiving team's opportunity, even if the kicking team recovers an onside kick. A punt or field goal attempt that crosses the line of scrimmage and is muffed by the receiving team also counts as its opportunity.

One more wrinkle: if the first team scores and the second team then throws an interception or loses a fumble, the down plays out and any points scored on the return count.

Can an NFL game end in a tie?

An NFL regular season game can end in a tie if the score is level after the single 10-minute overtime period. In the standings, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss for both teams (NFL.com).

A playoff game cannot end in a tie. Preseason games can, because owners eliminated preseason overtime in 2021 (NBC Sports).

NFL playoff overtime rules beyond the first period

NFL playoff overtime keeps adding 15-minute periods until there is a winner, and the rulebook sets out what happens as it goes:

Two-minute intermissions separate periods, with no halftime break after the second period.
Teams change ends after the first and third periods.
Timing at the end of the second overtime period works like the end of a first half, and at the end of the fourth like the end of a game.
At the start of the third period, the captain who lost the original toss gets first choice, unless the winner deferred.
After a fourth overtime period, there is a new coin toss and play continues.

The playoff format itself, from seeding to byes, is covered in our NFL playoff format explainer.

When did NFL overtime rules change?

NFL overtime rules have changed five times since 2010:

Year	Change
1974	Regular season overtime adopted: one 15-minute sudden death period, first score wins
2010	Modified sudden death in the playoffs: an opening-drive touchdown ended the game, but an opening field goal gave the other team a possession
2012	Modified sudden death extended to the regular season
2017	Regular season overtime cut from 15 to 10 minutes
2022	Playoffs guarantee both teams a possession, even after an opening touchdown
2025	Regular season adopts the both-teams-possess rule, keeping the 10-minute period

Source: ESPN.

The 2022 change followed Kansas City's 42-36 overtime win over Buffalo in the AFC divisional round, when the Chiefs scored a walk-off touchdown on the opening possession and the Bills never touched the ball (SI). The first Super Bowl played under the new rule was Super Bowl LVIII: San Francisco kicked a field goal on the first overtime drive, then Patrick Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown to Mecole Hardman for a 25-22 Chiefs win (ESPN).

The 2025 regular season change was a Philadelphia Eagles proposal that passed 32-0 on April 1, 2025. The original version asked for a 15-minute period, which owners amended to 10 minutes (SI).

How NFL overtime differs from college overtime

NFL overtime is played with a game clock and starts with a kickoff, while college overtime has no game clock and gives each team a possession starting at the opponent's 25-yard line. Starting in the second college overtime, teams must go for two after a touchdown, and from the third overtime on, games are decided by alternating two-point attempts (ESPN). The full breakdown is in our guide to college football overtime rules.

Jerseys from famous overtime games

The two quarterbacks from the game that changed playoff overtime are both in the lineup: the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs jersey and the Josh Allen Bills jersey. Every team is on the NFL jerseys page.

Frequently asked questions

How long is overtime in the NFL?

NFL overtime lasts one 10-minute period in the regular season. In the playoffs, each overtime period is 15 minutes, and periods continue until a team wins. Both formats start after an intermission of no more than three minutes, with a new coin toss that the visiting captain calls.

Do both teams get the ball in NFL overtime?

Yes, in both the regular season and playoffs, unless the kicking team scores a safety on the opening drive. In the regular season, the 10-minute clock can also expire before the second team's possession starts or ends, and the game ends there regardless.

What happens if the first team scores a touchdown in NFL overtime?

The game continues. The scoring team kicks off, and the other team gets a possession to match or beat the touchdown. If it scores a touchdown and the game is tied again, the next score of any kind wins. Since 2025, this applies in the regular season as well as the playoffs.

Can an NFL playoff game end in a tie?

No. NFL playoff games add 15-minute overtime periods until a team wins, with a two-minute break between periods and a new coin toss after the fourth period. Only regular season games can end in a tie, and preseason games have had no overtime since 2021.

How many timeouts does each team get in NFL overtime?

Each team gets two timeouts in regular season overtime. In playoff overtime, each team gets three timeouts per half, as in regulation. Coaches cannot challenge plays in overtime in either format; every review is started by the replay official, and a disqualified player cannot return in any overtime period.

Sources

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