Super Bowl 2024: What happens in case of a tie? Overtime rules explained

The 2024 Super Bowl has gone to overtime! A late field goal by the Chiefs tied the scores up at 19 each at the end of regulation time, meaning the game goes into overtime, with the new rules.

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Playoff competition - with the Super Bowl included - is a different proposition to the regular season games and features some rule changes. One of the key alterations made for the post-season period is the overtime rules, with games unable to end in a tie. Here’s how things now pan out with the Super Bowl ending in a tie at the final whistle.

NFL post-season overtime rules

In the post-season games that end in a tie after the regulation time will proceed with a 15-minute period of overtime. If the scores are still level at the end of that time, another 15 minutes will be played, and so on until a winner is found.

Both teams will get at least one possession in each overtime period. If the scores are level after each team has possessed the ball the next score wins the game. If the second team’s possession isn’t over at the end of the 15-minute period, a new period is started.

Coaches challenges are not permitted in overtime, meaning that replay reviews can only be initiated by the replay official. Each team gets three timeouts to use across each two overtime periods.

There is little time to rest with just three minutes allowed between the end of regular time and the beginning of the first overtime period. Once overtime was begun, there will be a two-minute intermission between each period.

Can playoff overtime go on forever?

In theory, yes! The Super Bowl must be decided on the night, meaning that teams continue in overtime until a winner is found.

Just 12 playoffs games before tonight since 2010 have required overtime. Occasionally these games require multiple periods of overtime, the most recent coming in 2012 with Baltimore Raven’s AFC Divisional victory over Denver Broncos.

The longest ever playoff game came in 1971, when a Divisional playoff match between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs lasted an astonishing 82 minutes and 40 seconds. The game was midway through the second period of overtime when Garo Yepremian scored a 37-yard field goal for the Dolphins.