Helena Frye
Basketball games go into overtime when the score is tied at the end of the fourth period. Overtime periods are five minutes long, and there is no limit to the number of overtime sessions played until a team wins. Overtime periods are considered extensions of the second half, and the rules are the same as the regular game, with each team retaining two timeouts and all personal fouls carrying over.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Overtime duration | 5 minutes |
| Number of overtime sessions | No limit |
| Teams | Remain five-on-five |
| Overtime periods | Considered extensions of the second half |
| Start of overtime periods | Jump ball in the center circle |
| Team timeouts per overtime period | Two |
| Fouls | Carried over to overtime |
| Clock stoppage | Only for injuries and officials' time out |
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What You'll Learn
Overtime duration
The duration of overtime in basketball depends on the league and level of competition.
In the NBA, overtime periods last for 5 minutes. There is no limit to the number of overtime periods, as additional 5-minute periods are played until a team comes out on top. Each team is allowed two timeouts per overtime period. The clock will not stop for a foul, held ball, or violation until there is less than one minute remaining in the overtime period.
In college basketball, overtime periods also typically last for 5 minutes. This is true for both the men's and women's NCAA tournaments. Again, there is no limit to the number of overtime periods, and 5-minute periods will continue to be played until a winner is determined. Teams receive a 30-second timeout in each overtime, in addition to any unused timeouts from regulation. Fouls accumulated during regulation carry over to overtime, and once a team reaches 10 fouls, their opponent shoots two free throws for each subsequent foul.
There have been instances of multiple overtimes in both the men's and women's NCAA tournaments, with the 2024 men's tournament featuring three overtime games, including one double-overtime game.
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Rules during overtime
Overtime in basketball is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. The rules for overtime vary depending on the league and the type of game being played. Here are some of the rules that may apply during overtime:
Duration and Number of Overtime Periods
The duration of each overtime period is typically five minutes, and there is no limit to the number of overtime periods that can be played. Overtime periods are played until one team leads at the end of the period. There are 130 seconds between the end of regulation and the start of the first overtime period, and a one-minute break between subsequent overtime periods.
Starting the Overtime Period
Each overtime period starts with a jump ball in the center circle. Overtime periods are considered extensions of the second half, so teams do not change baskets.
Timeouts
Each team is allowed two thirty-second timeouts per overtime period, in addition to any unused timeouts from regulation. Timeouts do not carry over from one overtime period to the next.
Fouls
All personal and team fouls accumulated during regulation carry over to overtime. Players who fouled out during regulation cannot return for overtime. If a team has not committed three team fouls in the first three minutes of an overtime period, they may incur one team foul in the last two minutes without penalty. During the last two minutes of overtime, the ball may be passed anywhere on the court during inbound plays.
Instant Replay Reviews
In some leagues, coaches may utilize a "Coach's Challenge" to trigger an instant replay review of certain events, such as personal fouls, out-of-bounds violations, or goaltending/basket interference violations. However, in the last two minutes of overtime, coaches may not challenge goaltending or basket interference calls, and reviews of these events are triggered exclusively by on-court game officials.
Elam Ending
Some leagues, such as the NBA G League, have adopted the Elam Ending as their overtime format. In this format, there is no game clock during the overtime period, but the shot clock is active. A target score is set (usually based on the leading score after a certain number of periods plus a certain number of points), and the first team to reach or exceed that score wins the game.
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History of overtime games
Overtime in basketball is used to break a tie between two teams at the end of regulation play. Overtime periods are typically five minutes long, and there is no limit to the number of overtime periods that can be played until a winner is decided.
In the NBA, each team has two timeouts per overtime period, and all personal fouls are carried over. The entire overtime period is played with no sudden-death provision, meaning that if the score is still tied at the end of an overtime period, another overtime period is played. There have been two notable instances of multiple overtimes in NBA history. The first was a five-overtime classic between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Seattle Supersonics in 1989, which the Bucks won 155-154. The second was a six-overtime game that took place before the modern shot clock era in 1954, between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals, with the Olympians winning 75-73.
In NCAA basketball, overtime rules differ slightly between the men's and women's tournaments. In the men's tournament, regulation time is divided into two 20-minute halves, while in the women's tournament, it is divided into four 10-minute quarters. However, the overtime periods in both tournaments are the same length, at five minutes each. In the 2024 men's tournament, there were three overtime games, with Northwestern beating Florida Atlantic 77-65 in the first round, Creighton beating Oregon 86-73 in double overtime in the second round, and Houston defeating Texas A&M 100-95 in overtime in the second round. In the 2024 women's tournament, there were also two overtime games, with Kansas beating Michigan 81-72 in the first round and Stanford defeating Iowa State 87-81 in the second round.
There have also been some notable variations in overtime rules in specific basketball tournaments. For example, The Basketball Tournament, a 64-team single-elimination tournament held annually in the US, adopted the "Elam Ending" rule in 2018, which eliminates overtime and instead sets a target score that must be reached by a legal basket to win the game. The NBA All-Star Game used a variation of the Elam Ending from 2020 to 2023, and the NBA G League adopted a similar format starting in the 2022-23 season.
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$60
Fouls in overtime
In the NBA, overtime periods are five minutes long and there is no limit to the number of overtime periods that can be played. In the case of a tie after the first overtime, another overtime period is played.
The rules regarding fouls in overtime are similar to those in regulation time, with some differences. In the NBA, personal fouls and technical fouls carry over from regulation time and previous overtime periods. If a player commits a technical foul in regulation time and gets another one in overtime, or a high enough flagrant foul, they will be ejected.
Team foul totals and individual foul totals are recorded. A player will be disqualified after committing their fifth foul and ejected after committing two technical fouls, one flagrant foul, or one flagrant technical foul.
In overtime, any common foul beyond a team's third results in two free throws for the opposing team. If a team does not commit three fouls in the first three minutes of an overtime period, it can commit one non-shooting foul in the final two minutes without sending its opponent to the free throw line.
In the NCAA, fouls accumulated during regulation also carry over to overtime. Players who fouled out during regulation cannot return to play in overtime. Once a team reaches 10 fouls, whether in the second half or overtime, its opponent will shoot two free throws for any subsequent fouls.
In 2019, the WNBA adopted a rule regarding team fouls in the final two minutes of a quarter during regulation or any overtime period.
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Clock and timeouts
The clock in basketball runs whenever the ball is in play. The clock is stopped whenever the ball goes out of bounds, a foul is called, free throws are being shot, and during timeouts. When the ball is inbound, the clock starts once a player touches the ball. In the NBA, the clock stops after a made shot during the last two minutes of the game and overtime. For college basketball, the clock stops during the last minute of the game and overtime. Overtime periods are generally 5 minutes long in most leagues, including the NBA and NCAA.
In the NBA, each basketball team has six full timeouts and one 20-second timeout per half. Only a player in the game can call a timeout. A timeout can only be granted at the time of the request. When a team is granted a timeout, play shall not resume until the Timeout Clock has expired. The throw-in shall be nearest the spot where play was suspended. The throw-in shall be on the sideline if the ball was in play when the request was granted.
In college basketball, there are different numbers of timeouts depending on whether the game is televised or not. For televised games, each team gets one 60-second timeout and four 30-second timeouts. For non-televised games, each team has four 75-second and two 30-second timeouts.
In overtime, each team is allowed two timeouts per overtime period in the NBA. In college basketball, each team is allowed one timeout in the overtime period, and timeouts do not carry over from regulation into overtime.
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Frequently asked questions
An overtime period in basketball lasts for 5 minutes.
If the score is tied at the end of an overtime period, another 5-minute overtime period will be played. This can continue indefinitely until a winner is decided.
During the last 2 minutes of an overtime period, the ball may be passed anywhere on the court (including the frontcourt or backcourt). Teams are also allowed a 30-second timeout in each overtime period.
