The final quarter of the AFC divisional round playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs on January 23, 2022, was nothing short of thrilling. There were three lead changes and five scoring drives, culminating in a 36-36 tie at the end of regulation. Fans were on the edge of their seats throughout this exciting quarterback duel between Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.
However, the overtime period could not have been more disappointing. It was decided by just one coin toss and one touchdown drive. The game ended abruptly with a 42-36 Chiefs victory when Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce on an eight-yard touchdown pass. Unlike the action-packed fourth quarter, Allen didn’t get a chance to respond due to the NFL’s overtime rule in place at that time.
The previous overtime system was essentially a modified sudden-death format designed to give each team at least one chance to possess the ball, with one significant exception: if the team that received the ball first scored a touchdown on that initial drive, the game ended immediately. The opposing team never got another opportunity to take the field.
If the receiving team’s first possession resulted in a field goal, the other team was granted a chance to respond—either by winning the game with a touchdown or extending it with a field goal. If both teams matched field goals, the game continued in sudden death until someone scored.
Months after the 2022 Chiefs-Bills game, the NFL altered this overtime rule for playoff games—a change that will be in effect for Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, featuring the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. The new system, which will apply to the regular season starting in 2025, modifies the format to ensure both teams get a fair chance in overtime.
Under the updated rule, if the first team to possess the ball scores a touchdown, the opposing team also receives a possession to tie the game with a touchdown of their own and extend the overtime period. All other aspects of the previous format remain the same. Notably, a safety scored in overtime still results in an immediate game-ending victory.
This change aims to provide a more equitable and exciting conclusion to playoff games, preventing the sudden and anticlimactic endings witnessed previously and giving both teams the opportunity to compete fully in overtime.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2026-02-08/super-bowl-2026-nfl-overtime-rule-playoffs-seahawks-patriots
