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NFL overtime rules allow a regular-season game to end without a winner, even after both teams have played four quarters and an additional period. Ties are rare in professional football, but they remain a possible outcome when neither team can break the deadlock before overtime expires.
The issue drew fresh attention on October 11, 2026, when the New York Giants and Washington Commanders finished level after a dramatic overtime period. The result highlighted a part of the rulebook that many fans do not encounter often: regular-season overtime has a strict time limit.
How NFL overtime rules can produce a tie
When a regular-season game is tied after regulation, the teams receive a short intermission before overtime begins. The referee conducts a coin toss, and the visiting team’s captain calls the toss. The winner chooses whether to receive the kickoff or defend a particular goal.
Under the rules introduced for the 2025 season, both teams generally must have an opportunity to possess the ball. This remains true even if the team receiving the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its first possession.
There is one important exception. If the team kicking off to start overtime records a safety on the receiving team’s initial possession, the kicking team wins immediately.
Once both teams have had their opportunity, the team with the higher score wins. If the score is still tied, the next score decides the game. Each team receives two timeouts during regular-season overtime.
The critical 10-minute limit
The most important detail is that regular-season overtime lasts a maximum of 10 minutes. If the scoreboard remains tied when the clock reaches zero, the game is officially recorded as a tie.
The period does not restart, and officials do not extend the game simply because a team is still driving or has not completed its possession. The final score at the end of the overtime period controls the result.
Three ways an NFL game can finish tied
- Neither team scores: If both offenses fail to score during the 10-minute period, the game ends exactly as it began overtime: level.
- Both teams score equally: One team may kick a field goal, and the opponent may answer with a field goal. The same principle applies if both teams trade touchdowns or produce matching scores.
- The clock expires during an unfinished possession: A team does not receive extra time merely because it is still moving the ball. If the score is tied when overtime ends, the game is a tie.
For example, a team could take possession, kick a field goal and watch its opponent respond with an equal field goal. If neither side scores again before the 10-minute limit, there is no second overtime period in the regular season.
Why playoff overtime is different
The postseason uses a more decisive structure because every playoff game must produce a winner. In playoff overtime, teams play 15-minute periods, continuing into additional periods if the score remains tied.
The regular-season 10-minute limit does not apply in the playoffs. The process continues until one team wins, regardless of how long the game takes. According to the report, no NFL postseason game has reached a third overtime period.
The league record remains the 1971 AFC divisional playoff between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. That contest lasted 82 minutes and 40 seconds before Miami won on a field goal in the second overtime.
What a tie means in the NFL standings
A tie counts as half a win and half a loss when NFL records are calculated. A team with an 8-8-1 record has eight victories, eight defeats and one tie, but its winning percentage reflects the shared result.
Ties can also matter in division races and playoff positioning. When teams finish with identical records, the NFL applies its established tiebreaking procedures to determine postseason berths and division champions.
That is why even one tied game can become significant late in the season. Although ties remain uncommon, they can affect a team’s mathematical position and make the playoff race more complicated.
Frequently asked questions about NFL overtime rules
Can an NFL regular-season game end in a tie?
Yes. If the score is tied after regulation and remains tied when the 10-minute overtime period ends, the game is officially recorded as a tie.
Do both teams get the ball in NFL overtime?
Under the rules introduced for the 2025 season, both teams generally receive an opportunity to possess the ball, even if the opening possession ends in a touchdown.
How long is playoff overtime?
Playoff overtime periods last 15 minutes and continue as needed until one team wins. Unlike the regular season, postseason games cannot finish as ties.
How does a tie affect an NFL record?
A tie is treated as half a win and half a loss for standings purposes. It can also influence division races, playoff qualification and tiebreaking scenarios.
