2025 rule changes
Everything you need to know about the new overtime rules
Both teams are guaranteed an OT possession in nearly all cases
NFL owners approved a modification on April 1 to the regular-season overtime provisions to essentially give both teams a guaranteed possession in nearly all cases. It is a modification that was made for postseason games in 2022, and is now carried forth to the regular season.
The regular season was originally modified in 2012, and overtime was only extended if the first possession of the game ended in a field goal. Now it will continue past a touchdown as well, but the overtime period is a strict 10 minutes only. It will never be extended to accommodate an additional possession no matter what.
Any change of possession will revert the game to standard sudden-death overtime. If the possession change is on that second possession with the team trailing, it is the last play of the game, unless the trailing team equalizes the score on that play. So if the trailing team is intercepted and regains possession on the same play, they must also score on that play, because a game-ending change of possession has occurred.
For clarity, any touchdown scored by the defense will end the game. A kickoff return to the house in overtime is not necessarily the end of the game in the playoffs.
If the score is re-tied in the overtime period, it will also revert to standard sudden death.
The overtime period in the regular season is still 10 minutes, no more. Both teams have 2 timeouts. At the conclusion of the 10-minute period, the result is final at that point, regardless of how many possessions have occurred. At the five-minute mark of overtime, the fourth-quarter timing rules kick in — such as clock stoppages on most penalties, even if declined. There is a two-minute warning as well.
New situations under the rules
Since one- and two-point conversions were trivial to the result of overtime, they were never attempted by rule. But now that overtime can continue beyond a touchdown, a conversion attempt must be attempted any time it could have an effect on the result. The only time there is not a conversion attempt is when the scoring team has already scored the game-winning touchdown, either when the game reverts to sudden death or there already is a second-possession lead (if a field goal or a defensive 2-point conversion happened on the first score).
If a touchdown is scored on the first possession, the team that was on defense has a chance to tie the game as well. Also, if a one-point conversion was scored on the first touchdown of overtime, the second team can go for a two-point conversion and win. The team that touches the ball second has the advantage of foreknowledge of the scoring plays they can attempt at the end of the drive.
This adds additional strategy to the coin toss. If a team wants the second possession, it must actually elect to “kick” and not choose which goal to defend. The option to “defer” is not technically accurate (although allowed) because there is no second-half of overtime to defer to. (In the postseason there is!) A captain that defers might have his opponent select the option to kick first.
Unlike regular season overtime, postseason overtime can continue into a 2nd overtime if the second possession provided for in the rules has not completed (or hasn’t yet started). Those rules are in a separate post.
Unusual situations
These unusual situations pertain to overtime in the regular season under the new rules.
If a safety is scored, it always ends the game (unless it is a 1- or 2-point conversion attempt). If the defense scores the safety on the first possession, it has locked a win and there will not be a second possession. If there is an unusual situation where a trailing team scores a very unusual safety while on offense (requires a change of possession during the play), the safety will not provide enough points to win the game.
If there is a double change of possession (and no fouls) on the trailing team’s possession, they must at least tie the game on that play. Since it is not a continuation of that team’s possession, the game ends on that play. Anything short of a score on that double change of possession ends the game.
An onside kick cannot be attempted in overtime.
Of course, any of these scenarios where a penalty nullifies the entire play, it wipes it out as if it never happened. A change of possession with a defensive foul that nullifies the change means the original possession continues.
For those more inclined to visual representations, the following chart illustrates the postseason overtime rules. For these examples, team Y will receive the kickoff to start overtime, and team Z is the opponent, and 1P and 2P indicate the first and second possessions.
| First… | Then… | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Y scores a FG on 1P | Z scores a FG on 2P | Game continues in standard sudden death |
| Y scores a FG on 1P | Z scores a TD on 2P | Z wins |
| Y scores a TD on 1P | Z scores a TD on 2P | Z can attempt to tie or win the game on the conversion (standard sudden death if Z ties the score) |
| Y scores a TD on 1P | Y misses the conversion or Z scores on the conversion | Z can win the game on a TD on 2P |
| Y’s 1P is 10 minutes | Regardless of whether Y scores on the final play… | Game ends with the score at that point (regular season only) |
| Y scores on 1P | Overtime period ends during 2P | Game is over and Y wins (regular season only) |
| Either team scores safety | Game is over and the team in the lead wins (except if the safety is on a conversion attempt) | |
| Either team scores defensive TD | Game is over and the team in the lead wins | |
| Y scores TD on opening kickoff | Y kicks off to Z after 1- or 2-point attempt | |
| Y punts or loses possession | Game continues in standard sudden death | |
| Y doesn’t field or muffs the opening kickoff | Z (kicking team) recovers the ball | Standard sudden death as both teams had the opportunity to possess |
| Z intercepts or recovers Y’s fumble on 1P | Z fumbles it back to Y on the same play | Game continues in standard sudden death, as both teams possessed the ball |
| Y scores on 1P | Z loses possession or fails on 4th down in 2P | Y wins |
| Y scores on 1P | Y intercepts/recovers Z’s fumble, then fumbles back to Z on the same play | If Z does not also score on that play, Y wins because 2P ended. |
| Y scores TD on 1P | Y intercepts/recovers Z’s fumble, then fumbles back to Z on the same play, which Z returns for a TD | Z can attempt to tie or win the game on the conversion |
| Y scores on 1P | Y intercepts/recovers Z’s fumble, then on the runback fumbles out of bounds into Z’s end zone | Touchback. Z’s 2P ends and Y wins |
| Y scores FG on 1P | Y gains possession on 2P and on the return causes a safety to be scored in its own end zone | Y wins, scoring 3-2 in the overtime. |
Margins of victory
Under this rule, the following margins of victory are possible, shown with the most likely method of getting that score.
| 1 | TDs on both possessions with 2P going for the win or either team fails the XP attempt |
| 2 | Safety or missed 2-point conversion to tie |
| 3 | Field goal or 1P FG + 2P TD |
| 4 | 1P TD + defensive 2-pt + no score on 2P |
| 5 | 1P FG + 2P defensive safety |
| 6 | TD in standard sudden death, typically |
| 7 | 1P TD + conversion kick + no score on 2P |
| 8 | 1P TD + 2-point conversion + no score on 2P |
| 9 | 1P FG + 2P defensive touchdown |
| 10 | 1P TD + 2-point conversion + 2P defensive safety |
| 11 | 1P TD + defensive 2-pt + 2P defensive TD |
| 12 | 1P TD + failed conversion + 2P defensive TD |
| 13 | 1P TD + conversion kick + 2P defensive TD |
| 14 | 1P TD + 2-point conversion + 2P defensive TD |
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Anonymous
April 1, 2025 at 4:57 pm
The scenario given for an 11-point margin (1P TD + pick-2, 2P pick-6) is really only a 10-point margin, 12-2 sscore in OT. It would have to be a defensive 1 point safety, with Y retreating 85 yards backwards on the PAT, to get to 11.