For only the second time in NFL history, the Super Bowl was headed to overtime.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker sent the game into overtime when he made a 29-yard field goal with just three seconds left to tie the game at 19 with the 49ers. It was Butker’s fourth basket of the game.
If there’s anyone on the field who knows Super Bowl overtime, it’s Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers coach was on the field for the first Super Bowl overtime when his Falcons lost to the Patriots 34-28 in Super Bowl LI. The Falcons blew a 28-3 lead in a game where Shanahan was the offensive coordinator.
For the first time, both teams will be allowed to take possession of the ball in overtime. Here are the rules of the playoffs, which were implemented in 2022:
- The captain who lost the first toss in overtime will choose to either possess the ball or select the goal his team will defend, unless the team that won the toss has deferred this choice.
- Each team will have the opportunity to possess the ball in overtime.
- Each team has three timeouts during a half.
- The same timing rules that apply at the end of the second and fourth regulation periods also apply at the end of a second or fourth additional period.
- If there is still no winner at the end of a fourth overtime period, there will be another drawing and play will continue until a winner is declared.
Under the new rules, even if the team that gets the ball first scores a touchdown, the game is not over, the other team also gets at least one possession. If both teams score the same number of points on their one possession, then the game becomes sudden death.
The rules were changed in 2022 after the Bills failed to get the ball back in an overtime loss to the Chiefs in the 2021 divisional playoffs.
In the end, it was the Chiefs who won 25-22 in overtime for their second straight Super Bowl victory and third in four years.
