How does Pro Football Hall of Fame voting work? Explaining eligibility, rules and more about selection process

JUMP TO:

• How does the NFL's Hall of Fame selection process work?
• Who is eligible for NFL's Hall of Fame?
• How players are nominated for the NFL's Hall of Fame
• How NFL's Hall of Fame voting works
• Who votes on NFL's Hall of Fame selections?
• How many players are inducted into the NFL's of Fame each year?
• How many times can you be nominated for the NFL's Hall of Fame?
• Biggest NFL's of Fame controversies

The most prestigious honor in any sport is the Hall of Fame, where the best of the best are enshrined together in one place.

Each sport has its own unique induction process, and the NFL is no different. To get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, a player must go through a rigorous voting process against dozens of other nominees.

Like other sports, football elects its Hall of Famers through the eyes of sportswriters and media members, who have seen decades of players come through the NFL. Here's a full breakdown of how the Pro Football Hall of Fame elects its members.

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How does the NFL's Hall of Fame selection process work?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame selects its members through a 50-member Selection Committee of media members. The committee takes multiple polls each year to narrow the list of eligible candidates and determine the finalists before ultimately voting on who gets in.

Hall of Famers are inducted through one of two ballots: the Modern Era ballot and the ballot for coaches, contributors, and seniors candidates.

The Selection Committee, along with select "Blue-Ribbon Committees," helps review nominations and narrow them down until the induction class is decided. The Modern Era ballot and the ballot for coaches, contributors, and seniors candidates hold separate votes to determine who gets in.

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Who is eligible for NFL's Hall of Fame?

Any player who has been retired for at least five years, and any coach who is a year removed from coaching in the NFL, is eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If a player or coach returns to the NFL before making the Hall of Fame, their Hall of Fame clock resets to zero. Players who have been retired for 25 years or more are moved to the senior committee ballots, which have a separate selection process.

There is no mandatory retirement period for contributors, who can include owners, executives, scouts, and TV producers.

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How players are nominated for the NFL's Hall of Fame

The Selection Committee nominates players through a series of polls at the start of the process each year, allowing them to compile a large pool of candidates. Additionally, fans can nominate a player, coach, or contributor by writing a letter to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on behalf of their nominee.

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How NFL's Hall of Fame voting works

There are two different ways that the Selection Committee inducts people to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Modern-era players

For the Modern Era, nominations for the Hall of Fame include finalists from the previous year's process who received at least four votes but were not inducted, along with any other player, coach, or contributor the Selection Committee deems worthy of nomination. The committee narrows the list of nominees to determine 25 semifinalists and ultimately 15 finalists.

Once the 50 media members know the names of the 15 finalists, they vote on who should be inducted. The Selection Committee discusses each candidate and reduces the nominee list from 15 to 10, and then from 10 to seven. Finally, voters cast their votes for a minimum of three and a maximum of five of the seven remaining finalists, who must receive at least 80 percent of the vote to be inducted.

Coach, contributor and senior candidates

The process to determine finalists for the coach, contributor and senior candidates is a little different. "Blue-Ribbon Committees" for coaches and contributors hold meetings to determine one finalist for each group, while the "Blue-Ribbon Committee" for senior candidates determine a list of nine semifinalists and three finalists.

Who votes on NFL's Hall of Fame selections?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee comprises of 32 media members from each media market, including two from New York and Los Angeles, along with 17 At-Large media members and one representative of the Pro Football Writers of America. The Hall of Fame's Board of Directors must review and approve the list of voters annually by majority vote.

Selection committee members

According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the list of voters for the Hall of Fame includes these 50 writers and media members:

• Kent Somers
• Darryl Ledbetter
• Scott Garceau
• Vic Carucci
• Darin Gantt
• Dan Pompei
• Geoff Hobson
• Tony Grossi
• Rick Gosselin
• Jeff Legwold
• Dave Birkett
• Pete Dougherty
• John McClain
• Mike Chappell
• Sam Kouvaris
• Vahe Gregorian
• Paul Gutierrez
• Eric Williams
• Howard Balzer
• Armando Salguero
• Mark Craig
• Ron Borges
• Gary Myers
• Rich Cimini
• Paul Domowitch
• Gerry Dulac
• Matt Maiocco
• Mike Sando
• Ira Kauffman
• Paul Kuharsky
• Jarrett Bell
• Calvin Watkins
• Joel Bussert
• Mary Cay Cabot
• Jason Cole
• Frank Cooney
• Tony Dungy
• Dan Fouts
• Lindsay Jones
• Clark Judge
• Ross Ketover
• James Lofton
• Alex Marvez
• Sal Paolantonio
• Bill Polian
• Lisa Salters
• Jim Trotter
• Charean Williams
• Barry Wilner

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How many players are inducted into the NFL's of Fame each year?

There is no exact number of players who are inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but there are limitations to the election. For the Modern Era ballot, a maximum of five players can get inducted since voters can only vote for up to five players.

As for senior candidates, a maximum of three players can be inducted, but they are considered along with one coach and one contributor each year.

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How many times can you be nominated for the NFL's Hall of Fame?

There is no limit for how often a player can be nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but at some point players will change nomination ballots from the Modern Era to Seniors.

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Biggest NFL's of Fame controversies

Bill Belichick

In 2026, the Selection Committee didn't elect former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on his first appearance on the ballot. Belichick went up against Patriots owner Robert Kraft and senior players Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood, and the committee didn't give Belichick enough votes to make the Hall.

Belichick's omission from the Hall of Fame led to an outspoken backlash at the voters.

Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens made six Pro Bowls in his career, and after 15 years in the league, the wide receiver ranks third in NFL history in receiving yards. Despite that, Owens was not inducted on his first two appearances on the ballot, finally making it in on his third try.

The reasoning behind Owens' omissions was likely his many controversies as a player. Owens criticized the process after his first two years on the ballot.

Unfortunately I DID NOT MAKE IT again this year. Thanks to ALL my fans & supporters. #FlawedProcess

When you align expectations with reality you will never be disappointed. To my family,fans & friends I'm a Hall Of Famer. #FlawedProcess

After Owens was finally inducted, he chose to skip his induction in Canton, Ohio, instead choosing to hold his own ceremony at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Owens became the first living inductee to decline appearing at his own induction ceremony.

Terrell Owens declined his invitation to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and released this statement: pic.twitter.com/J4P1mS6VjN