when does a football game go into overtime
American football rules If a game is tied at the end of four quarters, overtime is played. In overtime, the coin is tossed to determine which team will possess the ball first. The winner of the coin toss can choose to give the ball or receive the ball. If the first possession results in a field goal, the other team is given possession to match or better the field goal; therefore continuing the game. If the first possession results in a touchdown, the scoring team wins. During the regular season in the NFL, one overtime period is played (with each team receiving two time outs). If both teams are tied after the 10-minute overtime, the game officially ends in a tie. In the playoffs, 15-minute overtime periods continue until a winner is determined. Overtime follows after a three-minute intermission following the end of the regulation game. Prior to start of overtime, a coin flip is performed where the captain of the visiting team calls the toss. The team that wins the coin flip has the option to either receive the kickoff or choose the side of the field they wish to defend. Ties are rare in the NFL;[2] a game between the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals in London on October 30, 2016, ended in a 27â€“27 tie. There had been a tie in a game the previous week; prior to that, the last tie was on October 12, 2014.