NBA Overtime Rules: How Long Is Overtime and What Happens to Fouls?

An NBA game cannot end in a tie. If the score is level at the end of the fourth quarter, the teams play overtime: a five-minute period. If it is still tied, they play another, and keep going until one team is ahead at the end of a period.

The basics

• Each overtime period lasts 5 minutes of game time.
• There is no limit on the number of overtime periods.
• Each overtime starts with a jump ball at centre court.
• Teams get a short break before each overtime period.

Timeouts in overtime

Each team gets two timeouts per overtime period. Timeouts help coaches set up the final possession, which is why the last minute of overtime can take a long time.

Fouls in overtime

Personal fouls carry over from regulation. A player who had five fouls at the end of the fourth quarter fouls out with one more, because the NBA limit is six. Team fouls work differently: overtime is treated like a new period, and the team enters the bonus after its third team foul of that overtime, or earlier in the last two minutes.

Do overtime stats count?

Yes. Points, rebounds and assists in overtime count in a player's game and season totals, which is why some of the highest individual scores come in overtime games.

The longest games

The longest game in NBA history was played in 1951, when the Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 after six overtimes. It was played before the shot clock existed, which is why the score was so low. Since the shot clock was introduced in 1954, the longest games have gone to five overtimes.

FIBA and college overtime

FIBA, NCAA and WNBA games also use five-minute overtime periods with no limit. The main differences are in timeouts and foul limits: FIBA and NCAA players foul out after five fouls rather than six.

Why there are no ties

Basketball's scoring is fast and the game was designed to produce a winner. Unlike football or cricket, a draw has never been part of the professional game.

Learn more in our guide to NBA foul rules, the shot clock and basketball rules.