
In sports, sudden death is a form of competition where play ends as soon as one competitor is ahead of the others, with that competitor becoming the winner. In basketball, the overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) rules vary between different competitions. While some basketball games employ a sudden-death overtime, others do not. For example, the 2022 NBA Summer League implemented a sudden death format, where the first team to score wins. On the other hand, the NBA's standard overtime system does not include a sudden-death provision, instead repeating a five-minute period until the teams break the deadlock.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is sudden death? | A form of competition where play ends as soon as one competitor is ahead of the others, with that competitor becoming the winner. |
| When is it used? | Sudden death is typically used as a tiebreaker when a contest is tied at the end of regulation (normal) playing time. |
| Which sports use sudden death? | North American professional sports using a sudden death method include the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and the PGA Tour (golf). Baseball and cricket use a tie-breaking method that incorporates elements of sudden death. |
| Does basketball use sudden death? | Yes, a version of basketball called 3x3 uses an untimed overtime period that ends once either team has scored 2 points. The NBA Summer League 2022 also implemented sudden death in a new overtime format. |
| What are the overtime rules in the NBA Summer League 2022? | The game is played under the usual rules for the first 48 minutes. If the teams have the same score at the end of the fourth quarter, they enter a new two-minute period to break the tie. Once this couple of minutes are gone, the NBA Summer League goes into sudden death mode, and whoever scores first wins the game. |
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What You'll Learn

The NBA's previous overtime system
The NBA has had the same overtime system for over 70 years. In this system, overtime periods are five minutes long and repeat until the teams break the deadlock. In 1951, a game between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals set the record for the most overtime periods, with six in a 75-73 contest.
The NBA's overtime rules are nearly identical for the regular season and playoffs. The key difference is the number of fouls before entering the bonus. In a 12-minute quarter, a team's fifth foul or second foul under two minutes sends the opponent to the free-throw line for two shots. Overtime is a five-minute period, so free throws are awarded on a team's fourth foul or second foul under three minutes.
Each team is allowed two timeouts per overtime period. Previously, teams had three. All personal fouls are carried over to overtime. If the score is still tied at the end of an overtime period, another overtime period is played.
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The 2022 NBA Summer League's sudden death format
The 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas introduced a new sudden-death format to its overtime rules. This format aimed to bring a thrilling and decisive end to games that had already gone on for a long time.
The usual rules were followed for the first 48 minutes of the game. However, if the teams ended the fourth quarter with the same score, they entered a new two-minute period to break the tie. If the scores were still tied after these two minutes, the game went into sudden death mode, where the first team to score won the game.
This sudden-death format was a significant change from the NBA's traditional overtime system, which repeated a five-minute period until the teams broke the deadlock. The 1951 game between the Indianapolis Olympians and the Rochester Royals set the record with six overtimes.
The 2022 Summer League in Las Vegas was the first time the NBA experimented with this new sudden-death format, providing a glimpse of how it could potentially change the game in the future. The format received mixed reactions from fans and players, with some praising the excitement and drama it brought, while others had differing opinions.
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The rules of sudden death
In basketball, the rules of sudden death vary depending on the competition. In the 2022 NBA Summer League, a new sudden death overtime format was introduced. In this format, the game is played under the usual rules for the first 48 minutes. If the teams are tied at the end of the fourth quarter, they enter a new two-minute period to break the tie. If the game is still tied after this two-minute period, it goes into sudden death mode, and the first team to score a point wins the game.
Another form of basketball that employs a sudden-death overtime is 3x3, a formalized version of the half-court three-on-three game. In this format, there is an untimed overtime period that ends as soon as either team scores 2 points. Shots taken from behind the "three-point" arc are worth 2 points, while all other shots are worth 1 point.
In high school basketball, there may be a sudden-death overtime procedure wherein the game ends upon scoring a golden goal. However, in some instances, overtime will continue until completion, with the team in the lead after time expires declared the winner, according to silver goal rules.
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Sports that use sudden death
Sudden death, also known as sudden-death overtime or a sudden-death round, is a form of competition where play ends as soon as one competitor is ahead of the others, with that competitor becoming the winner. It is typically used as a tiebreaker when a contest is tied at the end of regulation (normal) playing time. An alternative tiebreaker method to sudden death is to play an extra, shortened segment of the game.
Some sports that use sudden death include:
Basketball
A version of basketball called 3x3, a formalized half-court three-on-three game, uses an untimed overtime period that ends once either team has scored 2 points. Shots taken from behind the "three-point" arc are worth 2 points, and all other shots are worth 1 point. The NBA Summer League also implemented sudden death in 2022, where whoever scores first wins the game.
American Football
The National Football League (NFL) used a sudden-death rule until 2012, where the team possessing the ball would kick a field goal to end the game instead of scoring a touchdown. All forms of American football abolished pure sudden death for overtime as of the 2011 season.
Association Football (Soccer)
In association football, sudden death is called the golden goal. It was abolished from the Laws of the Game in 2004 by FIFA.
Golf
The PGA Tour (golf) uses a modified version of sudden death.
Baseball and Cricket
Baseball and cricket use a unique method of tie-breaking that incorporates elements of sudden death. In baseball, a winning run scored by the home team in an extra inning is referred to as a walk-off, as the players can immediately walk off the field. In cricket's Super Over tiebreaker, the winning team is said to have "chased down" the target score set by the first team.
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Alternatives to sudden death
In basketball, sudden death, also known as sudden-death overtime, is a form of competition where play ends as soon as one team is ahead of the others, with that team becoming the winner. This typically occurs after double overtime, serving as a tiebreaker when a game is tied at the end of regulation playing time. While sudden death in basketball ensures quicker endings to games compared to other methods, there are alternative tiebreaker methods that can be employed.
One alternative is to play an extra, shortened segment of the game. For instance, in association football, 30 minutes of extra time (overtime) is played after 90 minutes of normal time. In golf, one playoff round (18 holes) is played after four standard rounds (72 holes). These alternatives typically result in longer game durations than sudden death, but they offer a fairer assessment of each team's performance.
In some sports, penalty shootouts are used as a tiebreaker method. For example, in NHL hockey, if neither team scores during overtime, a penalty-shot shootout consisting of three or five players is used to determine the winner. If the shootout results in a tie, a 1-by-1, alternating shootout ensues until a winner is decided.
Another alternative format is the Elam Ending, used in The Basketball Tournament and adapted by the NBA's G League. This format utilizes a target number of points, requiring the leading team to score a set number of points to end the game. This variation adds an exciting element as the winning score is unpredictable, and teams must strategize accordingly.
A formalized version of half-court three-on-three basketball, known as 3x3, employs an untimed overtime period. In this format, the first team to score two points wins, with shots taken from behind the "three-point" arc worth two points and all other shots worth one point. This variation encourages strategic play and rewards teams for accurate shooting.
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Frequently asked questions
Sudden death in basketball is a form of overtime where the first team to score a point wins.
Sudden death is used as a tiebreaker when a game is tied at the end of regulation playing time.
Yes, the traditional form of overtime in basketball involves playing additional periods until a team comes out on top.
Other sports that use sudden death include soccer, association football, golf, and ice hockey.




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