Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Overtime rules in the NFL postseason have some important differences compared to the regular season. Here’s the summary.
As always, overtime starts with a coin toss, and the winning team can choose to shoot, concede, delay, or choose which goal to defend.
But in the playoffs, both teams are guaranteed possession — even if the team that gets the kickoff scores. If a touchdown occurs on the first possession, that team will then kick off and the other team will have a chance to score of their own. The only situation in which both teams would not gain possession would be if the defending team scored a safety first. In that case, safety would win the game.
If the team in possession of the second ball has not concluded its possession when 15 minutes have expired, that team shall retain the ball in the second quarter of overtime.
Unlike regular season overtime, postseason overtime uses 15-minute quarters and is played as an entirely new game. This includes a two-minute warning at 2:00 of the second quarter of overtime and the same time rules at the end of the second and fourth periods of overtime as in the second and fourth quarters of each game.
If time expires in the second quarter of overtime with the game tied, there will be another kickoff, and the losing team will decide to kick, receive, or field goal. However, there is no full timeout if the game is tied after the second overtime (which has never happened in NFL history). Half time lasts only two minutes.
If the game is still tied after four quarters of overtime, there will be another coin toss and play will continue as if it were the first quarter of a new game, with the first team to score a goal winning the game.
Each team gets three timeouts per half in overtime playoffs.
Post-season extensions introduce different strategies. Many coaches believe that it is better to start with overtime so that they know what they need in the first attack. And if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown and kicks the extra point, the team that goes second can go for two after their own touchdown to try to win the game right then and there.
Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024 was played under current NFL playoff overtime rules. The 49ers won the punt, decided to receive and punted on their first possession. The Chiefs then marched down the field and scored a touchdown on their first possession to win the game.
