FAQ · NFL & NCAA
THE ONE-LINE ANSWER
Whoever receives the opening kickoff does not get the ball to start the second half. That’s the whole trick — possession alternates by half.
NFL
The team that wins the halftime possession decision gets the ball to start the 3rd quarter. If the coin toss winner deferred (the most common choice), the loser of the coin toss chooses who gets the ball at halftime. In over 90% of NFL games, teams defer to control halftime possession.