Read the possession rule with the clock limit
The updated NFL approach gives both teams an opportunity to possess the ball rather than automatically ending every game after an opening offensive touchdown. However, the regular-season rule must be read as a whole. Article 3 also caps overtime at one ten-minute period, explicitly including situations where the second team has not had its opportunity or has not completed its first possession.
A clear hypothetical clock example
Imagine a regular-season overtime possession using most of the remaining period before a score. The fact that the other team is normally entitled to an opportunity does not add extra minutes to that period. The remaining clock still matters. This is a timing illustration, not a prediction about a particular play: the official sequence, score and remaining time determine the actual result.
An opportunity is not always an offensive drive
The rulebook also defines an opportunity in the context of kicking plays. A legal recovery by the kicking team can count as the receiving team’s opportunity, while the rules provide specific treatment for possession changes and returns. A simplified claim that each team must always run an offensive series leaves out those cases. Use the exact ruling rather than assuming the broadcast has omitted a possession.
Keep postseason overtime separate
The postseason procedure uses fifteen-minute extra periods and continues when a winner is still needed under its rules. It is not subject to the same single ten-minute regular-season cap. Identify the fixture type before quoting an overtime explanation. A playoff replay can accurately show a continuation that would not occur in the corresponding regular-season timing situation.
Explain a disputed finish with the right facts
Record the season, whether the game is regular season or postseason, the overtime score, possession sequence and remaining time. Those details let the rulebook answer the actual question. A short social-media summary such as both teams get the ball is less precise than the governing text, especially when the clock is almost exhausted.
Questions, answered
Does regular-season overtime automatically extend until both offences have a drive?
No. The 2026 rulebook states a maximum of one ten-minute period even if the second team has not had an opportunity or its possession has not ended.
Should a postseason overtime clip be used as the regular-season timing rule?
No. Postseason overtime has its own continuation procedure and uses fifteen-minute extra periods.