The Atlanta Falcons couldn’t quite hold off the Baltimore Ravens at the end of regulation on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.
The Ravens got a late touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game 23-23 and force overtime.
That makes it worth revisiting the overtime rules so fans know how this works going into OT.
How NFL OT Rules Work for Falcons-Ravens
The regular season overtime rules in 2026 are the same that were implemented in 2025.
They’re also the same rules that have been used in the playoffs since 2022.
The key here is that both teams will get the football.
The only way that changes if there’s a safety on the first possession of overtime.
Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what the first team does. The second team gets a chance to match or exceed it.
No matter whether the opening team scores 3 or 6 or 7 or 8 points on their opening drive — via a field goal or a variety of touchdown and point after — the second team gets the ball and can try to equal that.
If the second team doesn’t get at least the point total as the first team, then the first team wins.
If the second team gets more points than the first team, then they win.
And if it’s tied after one possession each, then it’s sudden death, so there is an advantage to receiving the kickoff in OT. You’re more likely to have that third possession.
There’s a coin toss at the start of overtime to determine how the opening kickoff of OT will work.
The only other main note: There are no challenges. If there are replays, they come from the booth.
How Long Is NFL Overtime?
NFL overtime lasts 10 minutes.
Each team gets two timeouts fresh for the OT period.
Does NFL Have Ties?
Yes, if the game is tied after the 10 minutes of overtime in the regular season, it goes into the books as a tie.
A tie works better than a loss in records at the end of the season, but it’s certainly an anti-climactic finish.
There was actually a tie between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon, the first tie of the 2026 season.
Why OT Rules Work Like This
The NFL used to have it so that the first points scored by any team would win the game in overtime.
That meant that the time that got the opening kickoff of overtime could go down and kick a field goal to end the game.
They then changed it slightly. If the first team kicked a field goal, the second team would possess the ball. But if it was an opening-drive touchdown, the second team never got the ball.
They finally changed it so that an opening-drive TD wouldn’t end the game — but that rule took effect in the playoffs before it came into play in the regular season.
Now the only difference is that playoff games can’t end in a tie — which when you think about it is obvious.
How NFL OT Rules Work for Falcons-Ravens