Over the course of 17 games and 18 weeks, multiple teams in each NFL division or conference can wrap up the regular season with the same record. So how does the league decide which ones reach the playoffs?

The NFL season is an 18-week, 17-game slog, but with the league shooting for parity, there’s bound to be teams with similar or same records all vying for a limited number of playoff spots (14 to be exact).

So what happens if there’s a tie? What if three 10-7 teams are dueling for one or two vacant playoff berths? What if two teams atop the same division finish with the same record? As you might expect, there are rules in place to sort all of these complex scenarios out. Let’s sift through them all:

What Are NFL Playoff Tiebreakers?

The NFL has often had its action described as being “a game of inches,” and that much can be painfully true for teams competing for the postseason. Sometimes it’s a matter of a ball placement indicating the difference between a turnover on downs or a first down. That alone can decide a win or a loss.

In bigger-picture cases encompassing the whole season, it can mean the difference between making the playoffs and missing them due to another team inching ahead in the standings via tiebreaker. Below, we’ll outline the tiebreaking methods for determining division winners and wild card berths — in addition to some non-playoff-related scenarios where order of finish still matters.

NFL Tiebreaking Methods

Sometimes tiebreakers come down to just two teams, and sometimes more than two are involved. The NFL has procedures set for either of those scenarios:

Breaking a Tie Within a Division

Two teams

If a division comes down to two teams vying for the title (and the automatic top-four playoff seed that comes with it), first place is settled by the following:

  1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs)
  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 teams

Things get a little more complicated when a third (or more) team enters the mix, but, according to the league’s rulebook, “if two clubs remain tied after one-or-more clubs are eliminated during any step, tiebreaker restarts at Step 1 of two-club format. If three clubs remain tied after a fourth club is eliminated during any step, tiebreaker restarts at Step 1 of three-club format.” Those steps remain consistent:

  1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs)
  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

Breaking a Tie for Wild Card Teams

Two teams

If two teams vying for a wild card berth are from the same division, then the tiebreakers above are applied. If the teams are from different divisions, the league operates by the following:

  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
  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 teams

As with the division tiebreakers, if two teams remain tied after a third or more are eliminated, the tiebreakers revert to the two-club version.

  1. 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.)
  2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference
  3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four
  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

Other Tiebreaking Rules

Tiebreakers can come into play in other situations beyond just playoff positioning. For the teams who aren’t going to make the playoffs, they may prefer to be on the wrong end of the tiebreakers in order to improve their future prospects.

Rules for draft positioning

Tanking for better draft picks is a time-honored tradition, and while no team will openly admit to wanting to lose, it’s clear some organizations would prefer to improve their draft outlook rather than finish out of the playoffs but in the middle of the pack.

As it relates to NFL Draft order, there is no lottery. The team with the worst record picks first, the team with the second-worst record picks second and so on. But what if two teams tie for the worst record?

Here’s how the NFL handles it:

In situations where teams finished the previous season with identical records, the determination of draft position is decided by strength of schedule — the aggregate winning percentage of a team’s opponents. The team that played the schedule with the lowest winning percentage will be awarded the higher pick. 

If the teams have the same strength of schedule, division or conference tiebreakers are applied. If the divisional or conference tiebreakers are not applicable, or ties still exist between teams of different conferences, ties will be broken the following tie-breaking method: 

  1. Head-to-head, if applicable
  2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games (minimum of four) 
  3. Strength of victory in all games 
  4. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games 
  5. Best net points in all games 
  6. Best net touchdowns in all games 
  7. Coin toss

Rules for non-playoff standings

The order of divisional standings matters, as it directly influences the next season’s schedule (based on the formula for how the league constructs the schedule every year). 

The same tiebreaking rules as the ones that determine playoff positioning and division positioning hold here, except that instead of sending a team to the playoffs, the tiebreaker will decide which team finishes second, third or fourth.

How Do NFL Tiebreakers Affect Fantasy Football Strategies?

NFL tiebreakers could impact fantasy football in the sense that if a team really needs to go for it in order to save its season, that squad’s players could wind up with inflated stat totals. 

It always helps to lean on players whose teams have something to play for as the season winds down, otherwise you might get into a situation that is far less predictable and conducive to fantasy success. On a similar note, teams that have already clinched their playoff position may opt to rest starters in the last game or two of the regular season, especially in Week 18.

Tiebreakers also come into play in fantasy-league-specific situations. For that rabbit hole, we’ve got you covered here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can tiebreakers eliminate teams from the playoffs?

Yes, that is precisely what they are designed to do. It’s incredibly cruel on a team to miss out on the playoffs via tiebreaker, but the margins in the NFL can be thinner than the laces on a football.

Has a coin flip ever determined the No. 1 pick in the draft?

Before more robust tiebreaking procedures were in place, the 1970 NFL Draft had its first pick determined by a coin toss. The Steelers and Bears both finished 1-13, and Pittsburgh lucked out, winning the coin toss — and the right to draft all-time QB great Terry Bradshaw. The Bears had beaten the Steelers that season, too.

Can a tiebreaker determine the top seed in the conferences?

Yes, just like division winners and wild card berths can be determined by tiebreakers, so, too, can the No. 1 seed in each conference — which comes with an all-important first-round bye. The procedures are the same as those that determine the other tiebreakers, depending on whether teams are from the same or different divisions.

Tie Yourself to Sleeper for Fantasy Football

Now that you’re well-versed in all things NFL tiebreakers, try your hand at fantasy football with Sleeper, which is its own set of tiebreaking rules. You can play free season-long leagues or paid-entry DFS games like Sleeper Picks by signing up on the website or downloading the app.

From there, you can track playoff scenarios, analyze tiebreaker implications and gain a competitive edge in your leagues while also enjoying a unique fantasy platform that’s ad-free, extremely user-friendly and interactive for you and your leaguemates.