NFL Playoff Rules on Tiebreakers

The NFL has created a system of tie-breaking rules to determine which team advances to the playoffs when two or more teams qualify for a playoff spot with the same win-loss record. The method used depends on if the teams involved in the tie are from the same division or different divisions within the conference. As the season enters its final weeks, the NFL analyzes potential ties and lists "playoff scenarios" to determine which teams will make the playoffs.

  1. Ties within a division

    • The first guideline used to break a tie for a playoff spot involving two or more teams in the same division is the teams' records against each other.

      If at least two teams have the same record, the next tiebreaker is the teams' record against all teams within their own division.

      If a tie still remains, the records of the teams are evaluated based on opponents within the same conference.

      If a tie still remains, strength of victory is analyzed. The wins of every team played by the tied teams are added. The team playing opponents with the most wins advances to the playoffs.

      If a tie remains, the tiebreaker is based on the records of all teams played. The team that played a team with more wins is the winner of the tie breaker.

      These tiebreakers continue for 12 steps. If a tie is not broken at that point, a winner is determined by a coin toss.

    Ties within a conference

    • When there are ties for a wild-card spot in the playoffs, the divisional tiebreaker described in section one is used if all the teams in the tiebreaker are from the same division.

      If they are not in the same division, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record. If any team involved in the tie did not play another team involved in the tie, this step is skipped.

      Conference record is then compared for the next tiebreaker.

      If a tie remains, the record among teams played by every team involved in the tie is considered. If there are not four or more of these opponents, this step is skipped.

      The next tiebreakers are strength-of-victory and strength-of-schedule tiebreakers as explained in section one.

      If a tie still remains at this point, the teams are compared based on each team's points scored minus points allowed.

      The tiebreaker can continue down to a 12th step, which is a coin toss.

    Multiple team ties within a division or conference

    • When breaking a tie among multiple teams within a division or conference, the steps in section one or two (depending on if the teams are in the same division or different divisions within the same conference) are used until one team is eliminated from the tie.

      At that point, the tiebreaker starts again with step one.

      It is possible that a tie among multiple teams in the same conference but different divisions will revert to divisional tiebreaker rules if, after eliminating a team, the only teams remaining are in the same division.