NFL 2025 Overtime Rules Allow Both Teams Possession, Increase Tie Outcomes

The NFL has implemented new overtime rules in the 2025 season that guarantee both teams an opportunity to possess the ball, even if the team receiving the opening kickoff scores a touchdown, a shift from the previous sudden-death format. This change aims to create a fairer and more strategic conclusion to games, reducing the advantage traditionally held by the team winning the coin toss. The overtime period is now 10 minutes in regular season games and can end in a tie if neither team outscores the other, as seen in recent high-scoring games like the 40-40 tie between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. Coaches, including Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell, prefer to have the ball second in overtime to know what they need to score to win. The rule change aligns regular season overtime more closely with postseason rules and impacts game strategy significantly, with teams now weighing the decision to receive or defer kickoff differently. These developments have sparked discussions among players, coaches, and analysts, highlighting the evolving nature of NFL overtime play.