Game Possessions

updated January 15, 2024

Football games are contested as a series of alternating possessions between two teams. A possession typically consists of a scrimmage play or series of plays in which the team in control of the football attempts to advance it in order to score while its opponent attempts to deny that effort. From 2007 to 2023, games between FBS opponents have averaged 26.2 total possessions per game, 13.1 possessions on average for each team. Offensive tempo trends and rule changes impacting the game clock and play clock have had an impact on the distribution of possessions per game by season.