How does overtime work in NFL? Explained with overtime rules in 2022

The NFL (National Football League) is easily one of the most-watched leagues on the planet, and there is no bigger Gridiron competition than it. It has an increasing fanbase with many new converts who may not be fully conversant with all the rules governing the game. Rules regarding overtime, especially, may need an explanation.

The NFL added overtime in 1974, and since then, the rules of the extra period have evolved alongside those of the game itself.

Here, we will give you all the information you need to know about the overtime period. At the end of the day, you'll understand what makes this period different in NFL from other American sports.

The Overtime Rules for the NFL Regular Season (Updated as of 2022)

1. At the end of regulation play, the referee will toss a coin to determine which team will have the ball first in overtime. The visiting team captain has the task of calling the toss while the hosting team captain looks on.

2. No more than one 10-minute period will follow a three-minute intermission. Each team must get the ball or have the opportunity to carry the ball. The only exception is if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown on the opening possession.

3. Sudden death play — where the game ends on any score (safety, field goal, or touchdown) — continues until a winner is determined.

4. The referee will give each team not more than two timeouts.

5. If the game's score is still tied at the end of the overtime period, the game's result will be recorded as a tie. (For the regular season)

The Overtime Rules for NFL Postseason Games (Updated as of 2022)

The postseason is the time in the NFL when there must be a winner and a loser, as this period does not permit ties. As such, the overtime rules are slightly tweaked to have a winner and a loser at the end of overtime.

1. Another overtime period - if the score is still tied at the end of an overtime period or if the second team's initial possession has not ended - will be played. Play continues regardless of how many overtime periods are needed for a winner to be declared.

2. There will be a two-minute intermission between each overtime period, with no halftime being permitted.

3. The captain who lost the first overtime coin toss will choose to carry the ball or select which goal his team will defend unless the team that won the coin toss deferred that choice.

4. Each team will have at least one opportunity to possess the ball in overtime.

5. Each team gets three timeouts during a half.

6. The same timing rules that apply at the end of the second and fourth regulation periods also apply at the end of the second or fourth overtime period.

7. If there is still no winner at the end of the fourth overtime period, there will be one more coin toss, and the play will continue until a winner is declared.

Why was the overtime rule updated in the 2022 NFL Season?

The overtime rules were updated because it has been too long since the league updated the final itinerary of the rules. Since the last true update to the overtime rules in 2017, many teams have complained about their fates being sealed by a mere coin toss and the lack of a level playing field that comes with such.

That was made even more apparent in the 2021 NFL postseason when the Kansas City Chiefs rode their luck against a disgruntled Buffalo Bills side due to the archaic overtime rules.

In the 2021 NFL season's AFC divisional round game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, the NFL's best quarterbacks served up a clash for the ages. The game ended in a 42-36 scoreline as Patrick Mahomes engaged in a duel with Josh Allen with both quarterbacks winning the hearts of neutrals in the process.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 10 of 13 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions for the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Allen completed 27 of 37 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns, including two in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Chiefs needed just one possession to win the game, as a touchdown on the initial possession of overtime sealed the victory. They did as Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce on a 75 yard march deep into overtime to secure the victory.

Hence, during the off-season, the league did the necessary work to remedy the situation. The 2022 NFL season is entering its eighth week, so sooner rather than later, we will see just how efficient the new overtime rules are.