NFL Tiebreakers Explained: A Look at How the League Breaks a Tie in the Playoff Race

A complete guide to NFL tiebreakers amid a tight 2025 postseason race.

The 2025 NFL playoffs are upon us. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

We’re into the homestretch of the 2025 NFL regular season, with the playoffs officially looming and teams getting set to make their final pushes to try to secure a spot in the postseason.

With the league's eight division champions earning automatic bids and three Wild Card spots in each conference up for grabs, the playoff race is truly about to heat up—and thanks to the league-wide parity so far this season, it already sort of has.

Admittedly, the NFL playoff picture and the way teams with the same record somehow jump each other in the standings can be confusing. That’s why we’re here.

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Below, you’ll find a complete explainer detailing the NFL’s tiebreaking procedures and how the league ultimately determines who’s in, and who’s out of the playoff picture.

Here we go:

NFL Tiebreaking Procedures, Explained

The NFL's tiebreaking policy can be confusing. We've got you covered. / Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

(NOTE: The information below comes from NFL.com’s Tiebreaking Procedures landing page.)

The NFL’s tiebreaking procedures begin with determining each teams' place within their division, and are then rolled forward to hash out the wild card standings.

In it’s simplest terms, here’s a look at how the NFL breaks a tie at the top of a division.

Tiebreaker Rules Within a Division

Drake Maye and the Bills could be neck-and-neck in the AFC East standings come season's end. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

If two teams have an identical win-loss-tie percentage, then the following steps are used—in order—to break said tie until a division champion is determined:

1. Head-to-head record
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference
5. Strength of victory in all games
6. Strength of schedule in all games
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
9. Best net points in common games
10. Best net points in all games
11. Best net touchdowns in all games
12. Coin toss

If three or more teams are tied with the same win-loss-tie percentage, then the above steps still take place. Once a team is eliminated during any step, the tiebreaker restarts from Step 1 for the remaining teams until a champion is determined.

Tiebreaker Rules For Wild-Card Teams

Dak Prescott and the Lions will be fighting for an NFC wild card spot throughout the remainder of the season. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The tiebreakers for wild-card spots become a bit more tedious. First and foremost, there are different sets of steps to take if the tie is between two teams versus three or more. Additionally, if teams tied in the wild-card standings are from the same division, then you simply apply the above division tiebreaker steps to break the tie.

However, if they are from different divisions, then you apply the following steps:

Breaking a Tie Between Two Teams

1. Head-to-head, if applicable
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four
4. Strength of victory in all games
5. Strength of schedule in all games
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games.
8. Best net points in conference games
9. Best net points in all games
10. Best net touchdowns in all games
11. Coin toss

Here are the steps that are taken to break a tie between three-plus teams:

Breaking a Tie Between Three-Plus Teams

1. Apply the division tiebreaker to eliminate all but the highest-ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to the next step. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tiebreaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two wild-card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four
5. Strength of victory in all games
6. Strength of schedule in all games
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
9. Best net points in conference games
10. Best net points in all games
11. Best net touchdowns in all games
12. Coin toss

Make sense? Good. Here are a few more procedures that are baked in as well (via the NFL):

Other NFL Tiebreaking Procedures

The NFL's tiebreaking rules are rather advanced. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Only one club advances to the playoffs in any tie-breaking step. Remaining tied clubs revert to the first step of the applicable division or wild card tie-breakers. As an example, if two clubs remain tied in any tie-breaker step after all other clubs have been eliminated, the procedure reverts to step one of the two-club format to determine the winner. When one club wins the tiebreaker, all other clubs revert to step one of the applicable two-club or three-club format.

• In comparing records against common opponents among tied teams, the best won-lost-tied percentage is the deciding factor, since teams may have played an unequal number of games.

• To determine home-field priority among division winners, apply wild card tiebreakers.

• To determine home-field priority for wild card qualifiers, apply division tiebreakers (if teams are from the same division) or wild card tiebreakers (if teams are from different divisions).

• To determine the best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed, add a team's position in the two categories, and the lowest score wins. For example, if Team A is first in points scored and second in points allowed, its combined ranking is "3." If Team B is third in points scored and first in points allowed, its combined ranking is "4." Team A then wins the tiebreaker. If two teams are tied for a position, both teams are awarded the ranking as if they held it solely. For example, if Team A and Team B are tied for first in points scored, each team is assigned a ranking of "1" in that category, and if Team C is third, its ranking will still be "3."

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