NFL Tie Rules

Typically, NFL games are 60 minutes long, but there are rare occasions when the two teams facing off are deadlocked score-wise at the end of regulation. That's when the NFL tie rules kick into effect and the process to try and determine a winner begins. Typically, that means that the two clubs face off in an extra period known as overtime, but the rules for this can vary.

Overtime During the Regular Season

If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter in a preseason or regular season game, the two teams will play an extra 15-minute period. Each team will receive two time outs. If, at the end of the 15 minute period, neither team has scored, then the game will officially end in a tie.

Overtime During the Playoffs

If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter in a playoff game, however, the NFL tie rules are somewhat different. The fourth quarter will be followed with a 15-minute overtime period, as in the regular season, but if neither team scores, then a second 15-minute period will be played. The game will continue in this fashion until there is a winner; in the postseason, there are no ties.

Sudden Death

In order to avoid a tied outcome whenever possible, NFL rules dictate that overtime be played under sudden death rules. This means that the team that scores first wins the game, and that their opponents are not given a chance to answer with a scoring drive of their own.

NFL Ties Before Overtime

The NFL tie rules didn't always include the overtime period. That was added in 1974, after the league decided that too many games were winding up as ties. According to Don Banks of SI.com, in 1967, 15 of the 25 teams in the AFL and NFL had at least one tie, and during the five seasons from 1969 through 1973, there were a total of 37 ties in the two professional football leagues.

Fun Facts about NFL Tie Rules

Since the NFL tie rules were altered to include the sudden-death overtime period, only 17 games in National Football League History have resulted in a tie. The 1932 Chicago Bears hold the NFL record for most ties in a single season (six).