NFL tiebreakers, explained with this season's ties

When NFL clubs finish with the same record, the league breaks the tie one step at a time: head-to-head first, then division or conference record, games against common opponents, strength of victory and strength of schedule, and only then points. In the 2026 standings today, the Cleveland Browns are ahead of the Baltimore Ravens at 3-1 on division record.

The short version

A tie within a division is broken by the division steps; a tie for a wild card or a seed by the wild-card steps.
Head-to-head comes first in both. Division ties then look at division record, wild-card ties at conference record.
With three clubs or more, a club that drops out at any step sends the rest back to step one; two left use the two-club steps.
Only one club advances from a tie at a time. Once it does, the others start over for the next place.

Two clubs in the same division

Head-to-head: the better record in games between the two.
Record in division games.
Record in games against common opponents.
Record in conference games.
Strength of victory: the combined record of the clubs each one beat.
Strength of schedule: the combined record of every opponent each one played.
Combined ranking in points scored and points allowed among conference clubs.
Combined ranking in points scored and points allowed among all clubs.
Net points in common games.
Net points in all games.
Net touchdowns in all games.
Coin toss.

Three or more clubs in the same division

The same steps, with head-to-head read as the record in all games among the tied clubs. If one club falls out and two remain, they go back to step one of the two-club list; if three or more remain, to step one of this one.

Two clubs for a wild card

If the two are from the same division, the division steps apply instead.

Head-to-head, if they played.
Record in conference games.
Record in games against common opponents, at least four.
Strength of victory.
Strength of schedule.
Combined ranking in points scored and allowed among conference clubs, then among all clubs.
Net points in conference games, then in all games, then net touchdowns.
Coin toss.

Three or more clubs for a wild card

First, every division keeps only its best club among those tied, by the division steps. Then head-to-head counts only as a sweep: a club that beat each of the others advances, one that lost to each of them drops out. After that the wild-card steps run from conference record on. Once the first wild card is named, the whole procedure starts again for the next one.

Seeding the division winners

Division winners take seeds 1 to 4 by record, even ahead of a wild card with a better one. Two division winners with the same record are ordered by the wild-card steps.

Strength of victory and strength of schedule

Strength of victory is the combined winning percentage of the clubs a team has beaten, each counted once per win; strength of schedule is the combined winning percentage of every opponent on its schedule, a club met twice counted twice. Strength of victory comes first: beating good teams outranks merely playing them.

Ties in the 2026 standings today

AFC: the Cleveland Browns are ahead of the Baltimore Ravens at 3-1 on division record.
AFC: the Pittsburgh Steelers are ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals at 2-2 on head-to-head.
AFC: the Tennessee Titans are ahead of the Houston Texans at 0-4 on points ranking in the conference.
AFC: the Jacksonville Jaguars are ahead of the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns at 3-1 on conference record.
AFC: the Buffalo Bills are ahead of the Cleveland Browns at 3-1 on conference record.
AFC: the Baltimore Ravens are ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders at 3-1 on conference record.
AFC: the New England Patriots are ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos at 2-2 on conference record.
AFC: the Denver Broncos are ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts at 2-2 on conference record.
AFC: the Pittsburgh Steelers are ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts at 2-2 on strength of victory.
AFC: the Indianapolis Colts are ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals at 2-2 on strength of victory.
AFC: the Miami Dolphins are ahead of the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers at 0-4 on strength of schedule.
AFC: the Los Angeles Chargers are ahead of the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans at 0-4 on strength of schedule.
AFC: the Tennessee Titans are ahead of the Houston Texans at 0-4 on points ranking in the conference.
NFC: the Philadelphia Eagles are ahead of the Dallas Cowboys at 2-2 on division record.
NFC: the Detroit Lions are ahead of the Green Bay Packers at 2-2 on conference record.
NFC: the Carolina Panthers are ahead of the Atlanta Falcons at 2-2 on head-to-head.
NFC: the San Francisco 49ers are ahead of the Minnesota Vikings at 4-0 on points ranking in the conference.
NFC: the Chicago Bears are ahead of the Seattle Seahawks at 3-1 on conference record.
NFC: the Los Angeles Rams are ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons at 2-2 on strength of victory.
NFC: the Atlanta Falcons are ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers at 2-2 on conference record.
NFC: the Detroit Lions are ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers at 2-2 on conference record.
NFC: the Green Bay Packers are ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys at 2-2 on strength of schedule.
NFC: the Philadelphia Eagles are ahead of the Dallas Cowboys at 2-2 on division record.
NFC: the Washington Commanders are ahead of the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals at 1-3 on conference record.
NFC: the New Orleans Saints are ahead of the Arizona Cardinals at 1-3 on strength of victory.

Pick the games left and watch the tiebreakers decide the seeds →