Super Bowl LX: What Are The NFL Postseason Overtime Rules?

The National Football League (NFL) reaffirmed its specific postseason overtime protocols ahead of Super Bowl LX, scheduled for February 2026, to ensure players and fans understand the rules governing a potential tie in the championship game. Unlike the regular season where games can end in a draw after a single 10-minute period, playoff and Super Bowl rules mandate that a winner must be determined. These regulations were primarily updated after the 2021 AFC divisional round to guarantee that both teams have the opportunity to possess the ball at least once, preventing a game from ending solely on an initial touchdown drive. Under these postseason guidelines, each 15-minute overtime period continues until a winner emerges. If the team that receives the ball first scores a touchdown or a field goal, the opposing team still receives a chance to match or exceed that score. The game only concludes on the opening possession if the defense scores a safety or a touchdown. Once both teams have completed their initial possessions, the contest shifts to a 'sudden death' format where the next team to score any points is declared the winner. If the score remains tied after the first 15-minute clock expires, additional periods follow until the deadlock is broken. Logistically, teams are granted three timeouts per overtime period in the postseason, an increase from the two timeouts allowed during regular-season overtime. To manage the flow of the game, a two-minute warning is triggered during the second and fourth overtime periods, mirroring the structure of the second and fourth quarters of regulation. Furthermore, all replay reviews during these extra sessions are initiated exclusively by the replay official, removing the coaches' ability to challenge plays. These rules reflect a significant shift in NFL history intended to balance fairness with player safety. While the league shortened regular-season overtime to 10 minutes in 2017 to reduce physical exhaustion, the high stakes of the Super Bowl necessitate the 15-minute format. The 'both teams possess' rule was a direct response to the 2021 playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, where the Bills never had a chance to respond to a Chiefs touchdown, prompting many to call for more equitable opportunities in the postseason.