NFL Overtime Rules: Will 2026 Games End in Ties?

The National Football League's overtime rules for the 2026 season will mirror those implemented in 2025 and utilized in postseason games since 2022. These regulations stipulate a 10-minute overtime period, during which each team is allotted two timeouts. All reviews during this extra time will be initiated by the booth officials.

Both participating teams are guaranteed an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime. An exception to this rule occurs if the team that kicks off scores a safety during the receiving team's initial possession. Following a coin toss to determine possession, if the score remains tied after each team has had a turn with the ball, the next team to score wins the game.

However, if the score is still even when the 10-minute overtime period concludes, the game will be declared a tie. This scenario has already occurred twice in the 2026 NFL season. One such tie was between the Commanders and Giants in Week 5, following a peculiar sequence where Washington was unable to stop the clock. Another tie occurred in Week 4 of the 2025 season between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, ending 40-40.