How does overtime work in college football? What you need to know

What you need to know about the latest overtime rules in college football for the 2025 season.

Scenes from a college football game during the NCAA season. | USA Today Sports | Imagn

Sometimes, you can’t settle the matter in 60 minutes. For most of college football history, you had to.

The sport only introduced its first overtime rule in 1996 and since then there have been a few changes to how extra football is played.

Let’s take a look at how overtime rules in college football work.

College football overtime rules: How does it work?

-- If a game is tied at the end of four quarters, it goes to overtime. That’s simple enough.

-- Officials will invite each team’s captains to the 50-yard line for the overtime coin toss. The field captain for the visiting team calls heads or tails. The team that wins the coin toss can decide to play on offense or defense, or which end of the field will be used for both possessions of the overtime.

-- The team that loses the coin toss will get the remaining option, so if the winning team decides to play offense/defense, the losing team will decide which end of the field will be used, and vice versa. 

-- Overtime periods consist of a two-possession series with each team getting one possession on offense and one on defense. The team on offense will always start at the designated 25-yard line, unless changed by a penalty. The team playing offense can choose to start its possession with the football anywhere on or between the hash marks.

-- Each team will gets one timeout for every overtime. Timeouts not used during regulation cannot be used during overtime and any unused timeout given for one overtime period cannot be carried over to any other overtime period. Timeouts used between overtime periods will be charged to the succeeding period.

-- Each team keeps the ball until it scores or fails to make a first down.

-- The team that scores the most points during regulation and overtime wins the game. If the game is still tied after an overtime period, there will be another overtime period.

-- Teams have to run a 2-point conversion play after a touchdown when a game reaches a second overtime period. Previously, a 2-point attempt was required after the third overtime period.

-- If it comes to a third overtime, teams have to run alternating 2-point conversion plays instead of starting another drive at the opponent’s 25-yard line.

Let's review

First overtime

• Teams start at the opposing 25-yard line...
• Each team gets one possession ...

Second overtime

• Teams start at the opposing 25-yard line...
• Each team gets one possession...
• If either team scores a touchdown, it must attempt a 2-point conversion...

Third overtime and beyond

• Teams alternate 2-point conversion attempts until one team wins...

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