Each offensive team has 40 seconds from the end of a given play until they must snap of the ball for the start of the next play, otherwise they will be penalised. The clock stops at the end of incomplete passing plays, when a player goes out of bounds, or when a penalty is called. The clock starts again when the ball is re-spotted by an official. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, a 15-minute overtime period will be played. In the NFL, this is sudden death and the first team to score wins.
Possession is determined before the period begins by a coin toss.
In NFL Europe, each team must have at least one possession in overtime. If neither side has scored after one possession each, the game becomes sudden death with the first team to score being the winner. The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Only 11 players are on the field from one team at any one time, and the uniforms they wear are sometimes as colorful as the game itself. Learn about the two sides of the ball, the offense and the defense.