Olympic hockey overtime rules 2026: Explaining how OT format works by round with shootouts

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Olympic hockey overtime rules 2026: Explaining how OT format works by round with shootouts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Hockey is one of the more exciting sports because it feels like every goal matters. The game itself tends to be low-scoring, so one or two goals can be all a team needs to pick up a crucial win.

That excitement is ramped up at the Olympics, with national pride on the line and a finite number of games left before the playoffs begin.

Part of what makes hockey so compelling is how it handles regulation ties. In the NHL, the standard 5-on-5 format is reduced to 3-on-3 for five minutes, with the first goal ending the game. If that period isn’t enough, the teams move to a three-round shootout until a winner is determined.

The Olympics use a similar process during the early portion of the hockey tournament, but the format gets a slight tweak once the playoffs begin.

Here’s more on how Olympic hockey overtime works.

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Olympic hockey overtime rules in early rounds​

Early round Olympic hockey looks just like the NHL. Both utilize three 20-minute periods for their regulation. The Olympics uses the same overtime process in the round-robin portion of its tournament.

If any of the games are tied at the end of the third period, two skaters will be removed from the ice for each team. There will be 5 minutes added to the clock, and they will play 3-on-3 with sudden-death rules, meaning the next goal scored wins.

If, at the end of that extra period, the game is tied, it will go to a shootout.

MORE: 2026 Olympic women's hockey standings

Olympic hockey overtime rules in quarter and semifinals​

The rules for the quarterfinals and semifinals are different. There are still three 20-minute periods for regulation. At this stage, if the game is tied at the end of regulation, there will be a 10-minute 3-on-3 extra period under sudden-death rules.

If the game remains tied after that extra period, there will be a five-skater shootout, just like the early rounds.

MORE: Complete history between Canada and the USA's women's ice hockey teams

Olympic hockey overtime rules in gold medal game​

The biggest change in overtime comes during the medal games. These rules apply to both the gold and bronze medal games. The simplest way to think about it is that there is no shootout option.

If a medal game is tied at the end of regulation, it moves into overtime. Unlike earlier games, the overtime period is 20 minutes long and remains 5-on-5, just like regulation. Sudden-death rules still apply, but if the game remains tied after 20 minutes, the teams will continue playing additional 20-minute periods until a goal is scored and a winner is determined.

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