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Can there be a tie in American Football?
The NFL isn’t built for ambiguity. The vast majority of the time, when the clock hits zero, someone’s celebrating, someone’s frustrated, and the scoreboard tells the story of the winner and loser.
But every now and then, things don’t end quite so neatly, and neither team comes away with the satisfaction of victory. Here's how it happens.
Can there be a tie in American Football?
During the regular season, NFL games can end in a tie, although this is relatively rare.
For a regular-season NFL game to end in a tie, the teams must finish the initial four quarters and the overtime period with the same number of points.
Can there be a tie in the NFL postseason?
The overtime rules differ during the playoffs, as a winner must be determined to progress to the next round.
If there is still no winner at the end of a fourth overtime period, there will be another coin toss, and play will continue until a winner is declared.
How many ties have there been?
Since the introduction of overtime in 1974, there have been just 30 games that have ended in a tie.
The most recent occurrence took place in Week 4 of the 2025 season, when a game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys finished 40-40 after going to overtime.
That game, loaded with drama and ending as the second-highest tie in league history, showed that even without a winner, the NFL can deliver plenty of excitement.
Click this link for more details about other NFL rules and objectives.
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