Gameplay in American football consists of a series of downs, individual plays of short duration, outside of which the ball is or is not in play. These can be plays from the line of scrimmage – passes, runs, punts or field goal attempts (from either a place kick or a drop kick) – or free kicks such as kickoffs and fair catch kicks. Substitutions can be made between downs, which allows for a great deal of specialization as coaches choose the players best suited for each particular situation for offense, defense, and also special teams. During a play, each team should have a maximum of 11 players on the field, and each of them has specific tasks assigned for that specific play.
Objective of the game The objective of the game is to reach the other side of the field in order to score. In order for a team to score they must run the ball to the end zone to score a touchdown. To move the ball and score, the team on the offense has to either run a running play or a passing play. The team with the ball (the offense) has four plays (downs) to advance at least 10 yards. If the offense succeeds in advancing at least 10 yards, they earn a first down and the number of downs a team has left is reset to 4. The team playing the offensive must now run an additional 10 yards to earn another first down from where they ended the last play (line of scrimmage). If the offense does not advance at least 10 yards during their four downs, the team without the ball (the defense) regains control of the ball (a turnover on downs).
On offense, points are scored by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone for a touchdown worth six points or by kicking the ball from the playing field through the raised vertical posts (the goalposts) situated on the end line of the end zone for a field goal worth three points. After scoring a touchdown, the offense is given an additional opportunity to attempt to score during an un-timed play. Conversion attempts are used to score 1 or 2 points as follows: The offense may attempt a kick (from the 3-yard line for high school, 2-yard line in college, and the 15-yard line in the NFL) worth 1 point (a one-point conversion). The offense may attempt to advance the ball (from the 2-yard line for high school and the NFL or the 3-yard line in college) into the opponent's end zone for 2 points (a two-point conversion).
While the opposing team has possession, the defense attempts to prevent the offense from advancing the ball and scoring. If an offensive player drops the ball during play (a fumble) or the ball is caught by a defensive player while still in the air (an interception), the defense may attempt to run into the opponent's end zone for a touchdown. The defense may also score two points by tackling the ball carrier in the offense's own end zone (a safety). In addition to this, if a team attempting to score or defending an extra point or two-point conversion scores what would normally be a safety, the defensive team is awarded a Conversion safety and is allowed to gain one extra point. In NCAA, NFL, and High School Football in Texas if the defense gains possession of the ball and returns it to the other end zone during an after-touchdown extra point or two point conversion attempt, the defense is awarded a Defensive two-point conversion and scores two points.
Time of play College and professional NFL games are 1 hour long and are divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each. In high school football, 12-minute quarters are typically played. However, the game clock is stopped frequently, and a typical college or professional game can exceed three total hours. The referee controls the clock and stops it after any incomplete pass or play that ends out of bounds, a change of possession of the ball from one team to the other, field goal tries, and kickoffs. In addition, each team is allowed three timeouts each half that may be used at their discretion. The clock normally runs during the action of plays, with a few exceptions known as un-timed plays. Some high schools employ a mercy rule in which the clock runs continuously after one team's lead over the other achieves a certain number of points. In these instances, the clock only stops for injuries and timeouts called by a team or a referee.
The clock may also be stopped for an officials' timeout, after which, if the clock was running, it is restarted. For example, if there is a question about whether a team has moved the ball far enough for a first down, the officials may use a measuring device (the chains) to determine the distance. While this measurement is taking place, the officials will signal for a stoppage of the clock. Once the measurement is finished and the ball is placed at the proper location (spotted), the referee will then signal for the clock to restart. Additional situations where officials may take a timeout are to administer a penalty or for an injured player to be removed from the field. Officials also call media timeouts, which allow time for television and radio advertising, often after scoring plays, a change of position, or during extended injury timeouts. If an instant replay challenge is called during the game, the referees signal for a media timeout. The referee signals media timeouts by first using the timeout signal and then extending both arms in a horizontal position.
In addition to the game clock, a separate play clock is used. This counts down the time the offense has to start the next play before it is assessed a delay of game penalty. This clock is typically 25 seconds from when the referee marks the ball ready for play. The NFL and NCAA use a 40-second play clock that starts immediately after the previous play ends, though, for certain delays, such as penalty enforcement, the offense has 25 seconds from when the ball is marked ready. The purpose of the play clock is to ensure that the game progresses consistently, preventing unnecessary delays. Overall, clock management is a significant part of the game; teams leading toward the end of the game will often try to run out the clock via kneeldowns.
Teams change ends of the field at the end of the first quarter and the end of the third quarter, though the situation on the field regarding possession, downs remaining, and distance-to-goal does not change (so a team with possession 5 yards from the opponent's end zone at the end of the first quarter would resume playing 5 yards from the end zone at the other end of the field, which they would then be attacking). Separating the first and second halves is halftime. Both halves and any overtime begin with kick-offs, and the kicking team at the beginning of the game and overtime is decided by a coin toss, while the other team kicks off at the beginning of the second half.
In the NFL, college and Texas high school football, an automatic timeout is called by the officials once the ball is dead and there are two minutes or less left on the game clock in the second quarter, fourth quarter, and overtime (a two-minute warning). No such warning is normally given in high school football, though if there is no visible stadium clock, the referee will give a four-minute warning.
Overtime
NFL
In the preseason (before and since ), games that are tied at the end of four quarters end in a tie.
In the regular season and playoffs, if a game is tied at the end of four quarters, overtime is played. In overtime, a coin toss is used 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. In the regular season, since 2025, if the first possession results in a touchdown by the defensive team on a turnover or the defensive team scores a safety, that team wins. Both teams get the opportunity to possess the ball, but if the tie persists after both teams have had one possession, the game goes into sudden death and whoever scores first wins. If neither team scores after their first possession, the game ends in a tie. In the unlikely event that time expires during the receiving team's first possession the game ends in a tie; if time expires as the receiving team scores on its first possession then that team wins.
In playoff games, both teams have the opportunity to possess the ball too. If the score is still tied after each team has possessed the ball, whoever scores next wins. However, if the team kicking off to start the overtime scores a safety on the receiving team's initial possession, the scoring team wins it and advances.
During the regular season, one 10-minute overtime period is played, with each team receiving two timeouts. If the game is still tied after 10 minutes, the game officially ends in a tie. In the playoffs, overtime periods are 15 minutes and consecutive periods continue until a winner is determined, plus three timeouts per two overtime periods (including even-numbered OT if needed). Overtime follows a three-minute intermission after the end of the regulation game. Before the start of overtime, a coin flip is performed, and the captain of the visiting team calls the toss. The team that wins the coin flip has the option either to receive the kickoff or choose the side of the field they wish to defend. Ties in the NFL are rare, with the most recent being a game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys on September 28, 2025, which ended with each team tied at 40 points.
Rule changes
The overtime rules changed thrice for the 2016–17, 2017–18 & 2025-26 seasons. For the season, the overtime period was shortened from 15 minutes to 10 minutes for the preseason and regular season. The overtime for the postseason remains 15 minutes.
Before the 2010–11 playoffs, the overtime winner was simply the first team to score any points; however, the rules were changed to reduce the advantage obtained by the team that won the overtime coin toss. Under the prior rules, the team that won the coin toss would usually elect to receive the ball and then gain just enough yardage to win the game by kicking a field goal without the other team ever touching the ball. The coin toss winner won approximately 60% of overtime games under that rule, rather than the 50% expected by random chance.
The regular season will see a copy of the 2010-11 playoff rules guaranteeing both teams the opportunity to possess the ball to start overtime; however, should the tie persist, sudden death rules apply hereafter until time is up.
Notable games
The first overtime game played under a trial of the new overtime rules occurred in a 2012 AFC wild card game between the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado. Denver won the game on the first play in overtime, an 80-yard touchdown pass from Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas. The rule was formally adopted for the 2012 season, and the first game in which both teams scored in overtime was a 43–37 victory by the Houston Texans over the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 18, 2012.
Super Bowl LI was the first Super Bowl to go into overtime with a 28-all tie between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots, which the Patriots eventually won with James White scoring a touchdown on the Patriots' first drive.
The 2019 NFC and AFC championship games both went to overtime, the first time for such an occurrence. In the NFC title game, the New Orleans Saints won the coin toss but an interception allowed the Los Angeles Rams to drive into range to kick the game-winning field goal. In the AFC Championship held later that day, the New England Patriots won the coin toss and on their first drive scored the game-winning touchdown over the Kansas City Chiefs.
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