For just the second time in NFL history, the Super Bowl headed to overtime.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker sent the game to overtime when he hit a 29-yard field goal with just three seconds left to play to tie things up at 19 with the 49ers. It was Butker's fourth field goal of the game.
If there's anyone on the field who knows about Super Bowl overtime, it's definitely 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 famously blew a 28-3 lead in a game where Shanahan was the offensive coordinator.
For the first time ever, both teams will be allowed to get a possession in overtime. Here are the rules for the postseason, which were implemented in 2022:
- The captain who lost the first overtime coin toss will either choose to possess the ball or select which goal his team will defend, unless the team that won the coin toss deferred that choice.
- Each team will have an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime.
- Each team gets 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 overtime period.
- If there is still no winner at the end of a fourth overtime period, there will be another coin toss, 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 isn't over, the other team also gets at least one possession. If both teams score the same amount of points on their one possession, then the game changes to sudden death.
The rules were changed in 2022 after the Bills didn't get the ball in an overtime loss to the Chiefs during the 2021 divisional playoffs.
In the end, it was the Chiefs who prevailed 25-22 in OT for their second straight Super Bowl win and third in four years.
