While games can end in a stalemate, the 2026 season saw a draw between the Commanders and Giants in Week 5 after a clock management failure left Washington out of field-goal range as time expired. This rare result highlights the necessity of the current league structure, which prevents a single opening drive from ending a game abruptly.
Understanding these regulations is vital for fans and teams alike, as these rules mirror the procedures used during the 2025 campaign and the postseason since 2022. Because both sides have the opportunity to possess the ball, the strategy shifts significantly from the older sudden-death formats of the past. The only exception to the guarantee of a secondary possession occurs if the kicking team records a safety during the first drive of the period.
According to Yahoo Sports and Heavy.com, the overtime period is strictly limited to 10 minutes. At the start of the extra time, a coin toss decides which team receives the kickoff. Each team is granted two timeouts, and all replays are initiated exclusively by the booth, eliminating coach challenges. If the score remains tied after the 10-minute clock expires, the game is officially recorded as a draw.
If both teams complete their initial possessions and the score remains level, the format shifts to sudden death. In this scenario, the next team to score wins. Coaches and players remain focused on the kickoff advantage, as receiving the ball first in overtime offers a greater likelihood of retaining possession for a potential third drive if the game continues beyond the initial exchanges.