The NFL is altering its overtime format ... again. The league approved two rule changes Tuesday at is annual meeting. Overtime is being overhauled in the regular season and replay assist will expand to include some new plays, per multiple reports.
While the league is changing its overtime rules, they should look familiar. In 2025, both teams will receive a possession in overtime during regular-season games. It's the same overtime format the NFL used in the postseason in 2024.
The NFL’s owners have passed a rule change that will allow both teams to possess the ball in overtime during the regular season, per source.
The overtime period will remain just 10 minutes.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 1, 2025
The initial rule proposal pushed for regular-season overtime to be 15 minutes, but was amended down to 10 minutes.
The league's overtime format became a popular topic of discussion following the Kansas City Chiefs' 42-36 win over the Buffalo Bills in 2022. After tying the game at the end of regulation, the Chiefs won the coin toss in overtime and scored on their first possession. The Bills were eliminated from the playoffs without touching the ball in overtime.
Months later, the NFL altered its overtime policy for the postseason. Under that policy — which will now apply to the regular season following Tuesday's vote — both teams were guaranteed an overtime possession during the postseason. If the score is still tied after both teams have a possession in overtime, the next team to score wins the game.
In the Bills-Chiefs example above, the new policy would have allowed the Bills to get another possession after the Chiefs' overtime touchdown. If the Bills scored a touchdown on their possession to make the score 42-42, the next team to score points would win the game.
That will now be the case during regular-season games, though with one small, but significant, difference. If both teams are still tied after 10 minutes of play, the game will result in a tie. Playoff games can't end in a tie, for obvious reasons.
Tush push proposal tabled by NFL owners
The most controversial proposal on the docket Tuesday was tabled by the league. After a lot of discussion, NFL owners decided to delay a vote to possibly eliminate the tush push from the NFL, per Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein.
A number of coaches and executives gave their thoughts on the play at the meetings. While a vote was supposed to take place Tuesday, the league decided to push that decision down the road.
NFL expands use of replay assist
The second rule change for the 2025 season involves which penalties can be subject to replay review. Under the new policy, "hits on a defenseless player, grabbing the facemask, performing a horse-collar tackle, tripping, and running into or roughing the kicker" can be reviewed, according to Pro Football Talk.
That proposal comes with a catch, however. Those penalties can only be reviewed if officials throw a flag on the play. If a coach believes the flag was not warranted, he can challenge and potentially have the penalty overturned. In cases where no flag is thrown by an official on a play, coaches will not be eligible to challenge. If an official misses a penalty, a coach can't use replay to change the situation.
NFL introduces Hawk-Eye cameras to measure first downs
The NFL also announced it will utilize Sony's Hawk-Eye cameras to measure first downs in 2025. The cameras will effectively replace on-field chain gang measurements on crucial plays. The league will use six 8K cameras to track the ball's position on the field.
The league stated the entire measurement process will take roughly 30 seconds, which will save roughly 40 seconds compared to the manual chain-gang measurements.
The chain gang isn't going away completely, and will continue to be used "in a secondary capacity."
Touchbacks will move to the 35-yard line
The NFL is really trying to make the kick return an exciting event again. A modified kickoff rule will move touchbacks to the 35-yard line in 2025. In 2024, a touchback on a kickoff resulted in the ball being placed at the 30-yard line.
The key upshot here: Touchbacks will now come out to the 35 instead of the 30, which in theory will discourage teams from kicking so many balls out of the end zone and lead to more returns. With injury rates down on the dynamic kickoff, this was the next step. https://t.co/YFgJzS8izq
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 1, 2025
Teams returned kickoffs at a roughly 33 percent rate in 2024. Under the new policy, the league expects that number to jump to between 60-70 percent, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
While there were proposals aimed at changing the onside-kick policy, those were not changed Tuesday. The league may consider changes to its onside-kick rule at a later date, however.
Lions defensive penalty proposal fails
A proposal to eliminate automatic first downs on defensive holding and illegal contact penalties failed Tuesday, per reports.
The Detroit Lions introduced the proposal, which sought to eliminate automatic first downs on certain defensive penalties. Under the current rules — which will remain in 2025 — illegal contact and defensive holding will result in a 5-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
Lions wild-card seeding proposal tabled
The Lions' proposal to alter playoff seeding was also tabled Tuesday. Under the team's proposal, wild-card teams with better records than teams that won their division would be seeded higher in the postseason.
The change would have helped the Lions' division mates in 2024. Despite finishing 14-3, the Minnesota Vikings were the No. 5 seed in the NFC. The Packers faced a similar dilemma. After winning 11 games in the regular season, the Packers were the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Both teams were seeded lower than the 10-7 Los Angeles Rams and 10-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers because the Rams and Buccaneers won their divisions. The Packers and Vikings lost their first playoff games.
Steelers free-agent proposal passes
A proposal that would allow teams to speak directly to free agents passed Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Steelers proposed the new rule, which will allow teams to speak directly to free agents and schedule travel for those players during negotiating windows.
Under the old policy, teams were not allowed to schedule travel for players and could only speak to a player's agent during negotiating windows.
The new policy will be adopted on a one-year trial basis and is subject to change after the 2025 season.
