# How Long is American Football Overtime? ## The Basics of Overtime In American football, overtime is a period of extra time that is played after a regulation game ends in a tie. Each team gets a chance to possess the ball, with the goal of scoring points and winning the game. If neither team scores during their possession, the game goes into sudden death overtime, where the first team to score wins. ## Duration of Overtime **Regular Season:** * Regular season overtime consists of one 10-minute period. * If the game is still tied after the 10-minute period, the game will go into sudden death overtime. **Postseason:** * Postseason overtime consists of two 15-minute periods. * If the game is still tied after two 15-minute periods, the game will go into sudden death overtime. ## Sudden Death Overtime In sudden death overtime, the first team to score points wins the game. The team that receives the ball first in overtime gets the first chance to score. If the team fails to score, the other team gets a chance to possess the ball and score. The game continues in this manner until one team scores. ## How Long Can Overtime Last? The length of overtime can vary depending on how quickly the teams score. The shortest overtime game in NFL history lasted just 2 minutes and 20 seconds, while the longest overtime game lasted 82 minutes and 40 seconds. ## The Impact of Overtime Overtime can have a significant impact on the outcome of a game. In the regular season, a tie game can result in a split of the points between the two teams. In the postseason, a tie game can result in the lower-seeded team advancing to the next round. ## Conclusion Overtime is an exciting and unpredictable part of American football. It can give teams a second chance to win a game that they would have otherwise lost. The length of overtime can vary depending on how quickly the teams score, but it can last from just a few minutes to over an hour.
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