How long is an NFL regular season overtime period?

An NFL regular-season overtime period lasts 10 minutes. If the score is tied after regulation, the teams play one extra period under the league's modified sudden-death rules.

The NFL reduced regular-season overtime from 15 minutes to 10 minutes beginning in 2017. The shorter period limits player workload and reduces the length of games, while still giving teams an opportunity to win without an automatic tie.

Under the modern rules, both teams generally receive an opportunity to possess the ball, even if the first team scores a touchdown. The game ends when a team has the decisive score after both required possessions, when a safety occurs in the relevant situation, or when the 10-minute clock expires. If the score remains tied at the end, the regular-season game is recorded as a tie.

Postseason overtime is different: playoff overtime periods last 15 minutes, and playoff games cannot end in a tie.