NFL Playoffs 2025: Overtime Rules, Bracket and Postseason Format

Joe TanseyJanuary 11, 2025NFL Playoffs 2025: Overtime Rules, Bracket and Postseason Format0 of 2

Bleacher Report

The road to Super Bowl LIX kicks off for 12 of the 14 NFL postseason participants on wild-card weekend .

Only the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions have off this weekend, which means four wins are required for any of the non-No. 1 seeds to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy on February 9.

Whichever teams win on wild-card weekend will hope to triumph in regulation instead of going into overtime.

Overtime games can be usual in the postseason, but if they do happen, there are some differences from the regular season overtime rules you need to know.

Overtime Rules1 of 2

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The postseason overtime rules differ from the regular-season regulations because playoff games can’t end in a tie.

Each team will receive at least one possession in overtime. If the game is still tied after those possessions, then sudden death kicks in and the team to score next wins.

The timing rules are the same as the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. A two-minute warning will happen if the overtime period goes that far. Each team receives three timeouts per overtime period.

Only six games in NFL playoff history have gone multiple overtimes. The last occurrence took place in 2004 between the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams.

There have been four playoff games decided in overtime in the last five years, with the last being Super Bowl LVIII won by the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers.

Postseason Format2 of 2

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The playoff bracket format is the same as previous seasons.

The No. 1 seed in each conference receives a bye into the divisional round and home-field advantage up until the Super Bowl.

Kansas City and Detroit will play the lowest remaining seed in their respective conferences in the divisional round.

The two other remaining sides play each other. For example, if the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in each conference are victorious on wild-card weekend, they will play each other in the divisional round.

If the No. 1 seeds lose in the divisional round, the highest remaining seed in that conference would host on conference championship weekend.

The two league winners will meet on February 9 in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX.