By now, you’re probably familiar with the background. The epic AFC Divisional Round matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills from the end of the 2021-2022 NFL season prompted a change in the league’s overtime rules for playoff games. Now, both teams have a chance to control the ball. Previously, if a team won the coin toss, they could choose to receive the ball and potentially win by scoring a touchdown on their first drive.
The change came after Josh Allen and the Bills lost a playoff game without ever touching the football in overtime, which understandably sparked a lot of conversation about fairness.
As we approach the 2025-2026 NFL Playoffs, it might be a good idea to take a moment to review these updated rules. You never know when you might need to understand them.
So, here’s a breakdown of the current overtime rules for NFL playoffs:
What are the rules for overtime in the NFL playoffs?
All playoff games heading into overtime follow these revised guidelines:
- If the game is tied after regulation, the referee will flip a coin to determine which team gets the first possession in overtime, with the visiting team’s captain calling the toss.
- Both teams will have the opportunity to possess the football. This is a significant change. For example, in the 2022 AFC Divisional Round game, if the team starting with the ball scored a touchdown, the game ended. Under the new guidelines, the opponent would have a chance to respond with a touchdown, extending the game if they succeed. When both teams have the ball, the format shifts to sudden death. Moreover, if the team that starts with the ball scores and has a successful extra point to take a seven-point lead, the other team can still win with a touchdown followed by a two-point conversion.
- If the score remains tied at the conclusion of overtime, or if the second team’s possession is ongoing, another overtime period will be played. The process continues until a winner is found.
- A two-minute break will occur between each overtime period. There won’t be a halftime after the second period.
- If, after two overtimes, there is still no winner, a third coin toss will take place to select possession or the goal to defend.
- Each team receives three timeouts during the first half of overtime.
- Timing rules that apply at the end of the second and fourth regulation periods also apply at the end of the second and fourth overtime periods.
- If no winner emerges after the fourth overtime, a subsequent coin toss is conducted, and play continues until someone wins.
- There are no instant replay challenges initiated by coaches; all reviews are triggered by a replay official.
What happened in overtime of Super Bowl V?
Super Bowl LVIII made some history by being the first playoff game under the new overtime rules, which ensured both teams had a fair shot with the football in those crucial moments. After the San Francisco 49ers kicked a field goal, the Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, scored the game-winning touchdown.
This marked the first Super Bowl ever where the lead changed hands on the last play of the game.
In reflecting on that moment, there’s a lot of curiosity about whether the 49ers made the best decisions strategically.
Despite suggestions that it might be wiser to defer, San Francisco chose to receive the kickoff after winning the coin toss. Since both teams would be guaranteed possession, having a clearer path to victory appeared advantageous. It’s somewhat akin to a college team starting on defense and then knowing exactly what they need to do on offense to clinch the win.
Instead of maximizing that advantage, the 49ers managed only a field goal, allowing the Chiefs a chance to win with a touchdown on their ensuing possession, which they did.
After the game, San Francisco’s head coach Kyle Shanahan remarked that they’d prepared for various scenarios and believed starting with the ball would give them an edge if the game reached a third overtime and entered sudden death.
“None of us have a lot of experience with that,” Shanahan said. “We evaluated everything and decided it was better to get the ball because if both teams scored, we wanted a chance to respond.”
Unfortunately for them, the game didn’t reach that hypothetical third overtime.
What happened last season?
Last year, fans didn’t see another Super Bowl V scenario play out, as none of the playoff games went to overtime.
This left little opportunity to see what lessons could be learned from such high-stakes moments.
What will the 2025 regular season look like?
As we prepare for the 2025 NFL season, the league opted to align its regular season overtime rules with those used in the playoffs, but with a catch: there will only be 10 extra minutes during the regular season.
This means that, as opposed to playoff games, regular season contests can still end in a tie if time runs out.
Interestingly, the insights gained from Super Bowl LVIII seem to have influenced regular season overtime strategies. A case in point was when the Green Bay Packers faced the Dallas Cowboys in September. Green Bay opted to kick after winning the coin toss, likely having learned from past experiences, knowing they would still get the ball even if Dallas scored.
Green Bay held Dallas to a field goal, offering a chance to win with a touchdown. However, they ended up settling for a game-clinching field goal instead, resulting in a tie.
Other games showed teams adapting their approaches under the new rules. In October, when the San Francisco 49ers faced the Los Angeles Rams in overtime, the Rams, having won the toss, chose to kick, allowing the 49ers the first possession.
Even though San Francisco scored a field goal, they couldn’t convert on a crucial fourth-and-1 play, leading to the game’s conclusion.
In another situation in November, the Carolina Panthers played the Atlanta Falcons. Carolina won the toss, but in a miscommunication, their quarterback mistakenly attempted to declare both their desired direction and choice, which isn’t typically allowed. Nevertheless, they started on defense, pushed back the Falcons, and kicked the game-winning field goal.
But here’s something interesting that hasn’t emerged yet: the effects of two-point conversions in this new era of overtime. Following Super Bowl V, the Kansas City Chiefs suggested they might go for a two-point conversion instead of opting for an extra point in scenarios that necessitated winning.
If overtime arises in this year’s playoffs, will the two-point conversion become a factor?
I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.
