What it is

Overtime is the extra period played when the score is tied after four quarters.

In a game

In the regular season, overtime is one ten-minute period. A coin toss decides who gets the ball first. Both teams get at least one possession in nearly all cases. If the score is still level after both teams have had the ball, the next score wins. If the clock runs out with the score level, the game ends in a tie. Each team has two timeouts.

More detail

In the playoffs there is no tie: the teams play extra periods until one of them wins. Because there is a second half of overtime in the playoffs, a team that wins the toss can defer. These rules have changed several times over the years, so check the rulebook for the current season.

Animated play

1. If the score is level after four quarters, the teams play overtime. First there is a new coin toss.
2. In the regular season, overtime lasts 10 minutes. Both teams get the ball at least once, with only a few unusual exceptions.
3. Here team A scores a field goal first. Team B then has its turn, and its touchdown wins the game.
4. If the teams are still level after both possessions, the next score wins. This is sometimes called sudden death.
5. If time runs out with the score still level, a regular-season game ends in a tie. In the playoffs the teams keep playing extra periods until there is a winner.