In the world of American football, when the dust settles at the end of the regular season, ties in standings can often arise among teams with identical won-lost-tied percentages. These ties must be meticulously unraveled to determine which team deserves a spot in the postseason playoffs or to shape the regular-season schedules. Here’s a comprehensive look at the NFL Tiebreaking Procedures that will be followed in the event of a tie:

Note: Tie games are considered as both a one-half win and one-half loss for the involved clubs.

Tiebreaking within a Division

When the regular season concludes and two or more teams within the same division find themselves locked in an equal embrace of victory and defeat, a series of steps will be executed to crown a champion. The NFL Tiebreaking Procedures are as follows:

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head – The team with the superior won-lost-tied percentage in games against each other takes precedence.
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

Three or More Clubs

(If two clubs remain tied after eliminating others, the NFL Tiebreaking Procedures restarts at Step 1 for two-club format. If three clubs remain tied after eliminating a fourth, the tiebreaker restarts at Step 1 for three-club format.)

1. Head-to-head – The team with the superior won-lost-tied percentage in games among the tied clubs takes precedence.
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

Tiebreaking for Wild-Card Team Selection

To break ties and determine the three Wild-Card teams from each conference, the following steps will be taken:

1. If the tied teams are from the same division, apply division tiebreakers.
2. If the tied teams are from different divisions, the following steps are taken:

Two Clubs

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 games).
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.

Three or More Clubs

(If two clubs remain tied after eliminating others, the tiebreaker restarts at Step 1 for two-club format. If three clubs remain tied after eliminating a fourth, the tiebreaker restarts at Step 2 for three-club format.)

1. Apply division tiebreaker to eliminate all but the highest-ranked club in each division.
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 games).
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

Important Notes

• Only one club advances in each tiebreaking step. Remaining tied clubs revert to the first step of the relevant division or Wild Card tiebreakers.
• When comparing records against common opponents among tied teams, the best won-lost-tied percentage is the deciding factor.
• To determine home-field priority among division winners, apply Wild Card tiebreakers.
• 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, with the lowest score winning. If two teams tie for a position, both are awarded the same ranking.

These procedures ensure fairness and clarity in determining playoff contenders and seeding in the National Football League.

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