With the less-than-inspiring slate of prime-time games on tap for Week 10 of the NFL season, one may wonder how the NFL flex scheduling procedure works. The process of how the NFL decides who plays when and where is a detailed process that takes a lot of time and effort before the final schedule is unveiled.
When it comes to flexing games out of prime-time slots that no longer look like enticing matchups for the consumer, it is certainly doable to remove those games for favorable ones, but it has to be done a certain way. Let’s take a closer look at the process and how NFL flex scheduling works.
NFL Flex Scheduling Explained
2023 offers a different way of schedule flexing than we have become accustomed to. Up until this point, the only games that could be flexed were Sunday Night Football games. However, starting in 2023 the league opened the option up for Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football as well.
For Sunday Night Football, flex scheduling can be used just twice between Weeks 5-10 and anytime the league sees fit between Weeks 11-17. As for Monday Night Football, those games can only be flexed in and out between Weeks 12-17. Thursday Night Football is similar to Monday; however, the window for Thursdays is Weeks 13-17.
MORE: NFL Prime-Time Games 2023
The entire reason for the NFL putting these changes in place is to ensure that the product remains enticing as the season unfolds. Injuries, teams not meeting expectations, and teams exceeding expectations, are just some of the reasons why the NFL may choose to take one game off and put another on.
A Sunday game with a kickoff time of 1 p.m., 4:05 p.m., or 4:25 p.m. ET time can be moved into any of the three weekly prime-time slots, while the previously scheduled prime-time game would be moved to Sunday instead. Games can also be moved from 1 p.m. to either 4:05 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. ET, and vice-versa as the league sees fit.
How Far in Advance Does a Change Need To Be Made?
In the early part of the season from Weeks 5-13, the league has to provide the teams involved a 12-day notice before making the change to a Sunday Night Football game. This essentially gives the teams two weeks to adjust their schedules. That time frame is reduced to just six days for games in Weeks 14-17.
All Monday Night Football games that get flexed must be done in that 12-day window with the Thursday night games giving far more time to adjust, as decisions must be made at least 28 days in advance.
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