How Do the New CFL Overtime Rules Work?

Ties no longer exist in the CFL, so a winner is decided one way or another. 

The overtime format, explained below, has a greater impact on CFL odds at the BetMGM sportsbook for teams requiring overtime to settle a game.

How Are CFL Regular-Season Overtime Games Decided? 

Each team gets a possession starting from the opposing 35-yard line, and there is no game clock. 

If the team with the ball first scores a touchdown or a field goal, the opposing team has a chance to match or surpass that output. Any touchdown must be followed by a 2-point conversion attempt.

If the team possessing the ball second matches the score from the first possession, the game will continue. 

If the second team to possess the ball fails to match the first team’s score, the latter wins the game. The team possessing the ball second wins the game if it eclipses the output from the first possession. 

If the game is deadlocked after two rounds, teams alternate two-point conversion attempts from the 3-yard line until there’s a winner. 

RELIVE AN UNFORGETTABLE OVERTIME!#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/bRtgwqyGg5

— CFL (@CFL) July 20, 2026

How Do CFL Overtime Rules Differ in the Playoffs? 

In the regular season, overtimes allow a maximum of two full possessions (from the 35-yard line) for each team. 

There is no limit in the playoffs, with each team continuing the start of their possession from the 35-yard line until a winner is decided.