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NFL Considering Rule Change for Overtime in 2025 Regular Season
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The NFL may be on the verge of changing its overtime rules again.
On Wednesday, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said it's time for the league to take another look at its overtime rules and make them the same in the regular season as in the playoffs [via AP's Rob Maaddi]. The league's competition committee also agrees things need to change.
In the regular season, overtime currently consists of a single 10-minute period. If the team that receives the ball first on offense scores a touchdown, the game is over. If it only scores a field goal, the other team gets a possession to attempt to tie or win the game. If the team that opens the period with the ball doesn't score, sudden death rules apply and the next score wins. If neither team scores in the 10-minute period, the game ends in a tie.
In the postseason, overtime is considerably different. Postseason overtime periods are 15 minutes long and both teams are guaranteed a possession. If the game is tied after both teams possess the ball, the next score wins.
Since 2011, 56.8% of teams receiving the ball first in overtime during the regular season have won the game.
NFL is moving closer to making overtime rules the same in regular season as the playoffs. League executive Troy Vincent said “it’s time to rethink the overtime rule” and the Competition Committee agrees it needs to be addressed. Receiving the ball in OT has become more of an…
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 26, 2025
This is likely a rule change most fans would welcome.
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Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.