It’s a script we’ve seen play out so many times before: An NFL game goes to overtime, and captains from each team walk out to midfield for the coin toss. One side wins and immediately chooses to receive the kickoff. Starting with the 2023 postseason, though, that could all be changing.
The league will use new rules for overtime during the upcoming playoffs, which could mean more teams opting to give up having the first possession. Under the new format, both teams are guaranteed to have the ball at least once.
The rule change came after last year’s divisional-round matchup between the Chiefs and Bills, in which Kansas City won the overtime coin toss and opted to receive. The Chiefs marched down the field and scored a touchdown on their first possession, ending the game without Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense having a chance to counter.
Now, the team that possesses the ball second would have the benefit of knowing exactly what it needed to end the game. Here’s a full rundown of how overtime will be played during the postseason this year:
- If the score is still tied at the end of an overtime period — or if the second team’s initial possession has not ended — the teams will play another overtime period. Play will continue regardless of how many overtime periods are needed for a winner to be determined.
- There will be a two-minute intermission between each overtime period. There will not be a halftime intermission after the second period.
- The captain who lost the first overtime coin toss will either choose to possess the ball or choose which goal his team will defend, unless the team that won the coin toss deferred that choice.
- Each team will have an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime.
- Each team gets three timeouts during a half.
- The same timing rules that apply at the end of the second and fourth regulation periods also apply at the end of a second or fourth overtime period.
- If there is still no winner at the end of the fourth overtime period, there will be another coin toss, and play will continue until a winner is declared.
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