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If you watch football long enough, you will hear a term that sounds like a riddle: the one-point safety. Most fans know touchdowns are six, extra points are one, field goals are three, and safeties are two. So how can a safety ever be worth only one point? The short answer: it can happen only during the try (the play after a touchdown), and it is extremely rare. This article explains what a one-point safety is, why it exists in the rules, how it can happen, and what real games have shown us. We will use simple language and clear examples so even a new fan can follow along.
Introduction: The Score That Seems Impossible
In regular play, a safety is always worth two points. A team is awarded a safety when the opponent is tackled in its own end zone with the ball, or the ball becomes dead in that end zone with the opponent’s own momentum (called “impetus”) having put it there. But on the try—right after a touchdown—special scoring rules apply. During that one, untimed down, it is possible for the offense to earn exactly one point without kicking a ball through the uprights. That exact situation is called a one-point safety or, in many rulebooks, a conversion safety.
Why is this so rare? Because the conditions needed are oddly specific: the defense has to gain control of the ball during the try, do something that puts the ball in its own end zone, and then be downed or lose the ball there by its own action. Only then will the offense be awarded a safety worth one point. That is a lot to ask from one short play.
First, A Quick Refresher on Football Scoring
Standard Scoring on Regular Downs
Here is the usual scoring most fans know:
Touchdown: 6 points. Field goal: 3 points. Safety (in general play): 2 points. After a touchdown, teams run a “try.” They can kick an extra point (worth 1) or attempt a two-point conversion (worth 2).
The Try: A Special, One-Play Situation
After every touchdown, the scoring team runs one untimed down. This is the try. They either kick the extra point or run a play from scrimmage to try for two points. Both teams can score during a try in many rule sets. If the defense returns a turnover all the way to the opposite end zone, the defense gets two points. That’s called a defensive two-point conversion. The try ends as soon as the ball becomes dead.
Where the One-Point Safety Fits In
On a try, the rulebook has to handle every possible outcome. One of those is the ball ending up dead in the defense’s own end zone because of the defense’s own action after it gained possession. When that happens, the offense is credited with a one-point safety. It is not two points because it is part of the try, not a normal down. The rules treat it differently on purpose.
What Exactly Is a One-Point Safety?
The Core Definition
A one-point safety, sometimes called a conversion safety, is a scoring result on a try in which the defensive team puts the ball into its own end zone by its own momentum and is downed there, or otherwise causes the ball to become dead there. The offense is awarded one point.
Key Ingredients That Must Be Present
To have a one-point safety, all of the following must happen on the try:
First, the defense must gain possession. This can happen on a blocked kick, interception, fumble recovery, or a lateral taken by the defense. Second, the defense’s own action (its impetus) must put the ball into its own end zone. That can be running backward, fumbling it into the end zone, or batting it there illegally, among other ways. Third, the play must end with the ball becoming dead in the defense’s end zone while still in the defense’s possession, or out of bounds behind the defense’s goal line, or as the result of a foul that is enforced in the end zone. When those pieces line up, the offense is awarded one point.
Important: It Only Happens on the Try
This cannot happen during normal play. In regular downs, a safety is always two points. The one-point version can only occur on the conversion attempt after a touchdown, when the scoring system for that down is different and more limited.
Why the Rule Exists at All
Rulebooks Aim to Cover Every Outcome
Football rules are designed to handle every crazy bounce and mistake. The try is a special down with special scoring values. Because the defense is allowed to gain possession during a try and even score two points by returning the ball to the opposite end zone, the rules also need to say what happens if the defense goes the wrong way and ends up behind its own goal line. The fairest answer is to reward the offense with some points, but not the full two points of a normal safety. That is why one point exists.
Balance Between Offense and Defense
On the try, the offense is favored to score one or two points. The defense also has a chance at two. A one-point safety is a middle ground when the defense’s mistake makes the result worse than an ordinary failed try but not as severe as an automatic two points. It maintains consistency in how points are valued on the try compared to the rest of the game.
How a One-Point Safety Actually Happens: Step-by-Step
Scenario 1: Blocked Extra Point Kick, Return Gone Wrong
Imagine Team A scores a touchdown. They line up to kick the extra point. The kick is blocked by Team B, and the ball stays live because it has not crossed the neutral zone and has not been declared dead. A Team B player scoops the ball and tries to return it for the two-point defensive score. He retreats, trying to avoid tacklers, but is driven or runs into his own end zone and is tackled there. Because Team B’s own action put the ball in its end zone and the play ended there with Team B in possession, the result is a one-point safety for Team A.
Scenario 2: Two-Point Try, Picked Off, Then Fumbled Backward
Team A tries a two-point pass. Team B intercepts the ball around the five-yard line and starts returning it, hoping for two points. During the return, the defender tries to lateral to a teammate. The lateral goes backward and rolls into Team B’s end zone, where Team B falls on it and is touched down. Because Team B’s own lateral (their impetus) put the ball into their end zone before it became dead, Team A is awarded a one-point safety.
Scenario 3: Penalty Enforcement in the End Zone
Sometimes, a foul by the defense in its own end zone during a try can produce a one-point safety if the enforcement by rule results in the ball being in that end zone with responsibility on the defense. While this version is even rarer, the rulebook allows for it. For example, an illegal batting or a foul during a return that places enforcement in the end zone can lead to the same outcome: one point to the offense.
What Does Not Count
It is not a one-point safety if the offense pushes or carries the defense into the end zone without the defense establishing possession and then providing the impetus. It is also not a one-point safety if the ball becomes dead behind the defense’s goal line solely because of the offense’s kick or fumble without the defense taking control first. The defense must possess the ball before its own action puts it in the end zone.
A Simple Guide to “Impetus”
Why “Impetus” Matters
Impetus is the rulebook term for who caused the ball to go where it went. Think of it as the push that sent the ball into the end zone. If the defense’s action provided that push after it got the ball, then the end result belongs to the defense, even if it is bad for them.
Examples of Defensive Impetus
Running backward into the end zone is defensive impetus. Lateral passes that roll into the end zone are defensive impetus. Batting or kicking a loose ball into the end zone is also defensive impetus. In all those cases, if the play ends there with the defense in control or the ball going out of bounds behind the goal line, it can become a one-point safety on the try.
Non-Examples of Defensive Impetus
If the offense’s blocked kick flies into the end zone without the defense ever controlling it, that is not defensive impetus. If the offense fumbles forward and it ends up in the end zone untouched, also not defensive impetus by the defense. For the one-point safety, the defense must possess the ball and then cause the end zone situation themselves.
Real-World Cases: Proof It Can Happen
College Football Instances
At the highest levels of college football, a one-point safety has been seen, but only a handful of times over many decades. Two widely cited examples include a rivalry game in the mid-2000s (Texas versus Texas A&M) and the 2013 Fiesta Bowl between Oregon and Kansas State. In those cases, the defense gained possession during the try and then ended up with the ball dead in its own end zone by its own action. The officials correctly ruled a one-point safety, and the offense’s score changed by one point on the scoreboard without a kick going through the uprights.
NFL Status
The NFL rulebook also allows a one-point safety by the offense during a try. However, as of today, it has never happened in a regular-season or postseason NFL game. That is how rare it is. The typical try ends quickly: a clean kick for one, a two-point pass or run, or a defensive return for two. The sequence needed for a one-point safety almost never lines up at the professional level.
High School and Other Levels
High school rules in many states also include the concept of a one-point safety on the try, and there have been a small number of recorded cases across the country. The principle is the same: defense gains control, defense’s own action puts the ball into the defense’s end zone, and the play ends there. One point to the offense.
How Officials Handle It
Signals and Communication
When a one-point safety occurs, officials will signal safety, the same two raised hands placed together above the head as for a normal safety. The referee will then announce that the result of the try is a one-point safety by the offense. The scoreboard increases by one for the offense’s total points.
What Happens Next
After the try ends with a one-point safety, play proceeds as if the try succeeded for the offense. The offense adds one to its total and then kicks off to the defense as usual. There is no safety kick from the 20-yard line like in a normal safety during regulation play because this was a try, not a standard down. The drive and field position procedures follow the rules for after a successful try.
Common Misconceptions
“Isn’t a Safety Always Two Points?”
Almost always, yes. During normal play, a safety is worth two. The one-point safety is special and only exists on the try. That difference is key. The try is its own mini-game with its own scoring options.
“Does the Defense Ever Get One Point?”
No. On the try, the defense can score two points by returning a turnover all the way to the opposite end zone. The one-point safety only belongs to the offense. There is no such thing as a defensive one-point safety.
“Is It the Same as a Botched Extra Point?”
No. Most missed extra points are just zero points. A one-point safety needs the defense to gain possession and then have the ball become dead in its own end zone because of the defense’s actions. A simple miss, a bad snap that is fallen on by the offense, or a blocked kick that the defense never tries to return will not create a one-point safety.
Strategic Takeaways for Teams
Coaching the Return Team on Tries
Coaches tell defenders: if you gain possession on a try, either secure the ball and get upfield, or, if trapped, get the ball out of the end zone or go down before you retreat into danger. Do not run backward into the end zone. Do not lateral recklessly. It is usually better to accept no points than to gift the offense one point.
Kicking Teams and Chaos
On a blocked extra point, the kicking team’s best tool is discipline. Chase the returner and force him sideways or backward. Tackle in the field of play. If he does go toward the end zone, keep contain and force the ball carrier to step into the end zone or lose control there. You cannot “plan” a one-point safety, but you can create the pressure that produces it.
Decision-Making by Ball Carriers
Defensive players who grab the ball during a try need a simple rule: if you have a clean path, go. If you do not, protect the ball and avoid the end zone. Do not attempt risky laterals near your own goal line. The cost of a mistake is one point to the opponent, which is often worse than no return at all.
Rules Details You Can Understand
The Try Is an Untimed Down
On the try, there is no running game clock. The play stands alone. That is why special scoring values can exist just for that play, like the one-point safety. It begins after the touchdown is confirmed and ends as soon as the ball is dead.
Ball Status and When It’s Live
A blocked kick on the try can remain live if the rules at that level allow the defense to advance it. In college and the NFL, the defense can return a blocked or deflected kick for two points. That is when the risk of a one-point safety can appear, because the defense will handle and try to advance the ball. The moment the defense handles it, the possibility of defensive impetus exists.
Enforcement in the End Zone
Another way to reach a one-point safety is through penalty enforcement, though this is uncommon. For example, if the defense commits a foul in its end zone during a return on the try and the enforcement by rule places the ball in that end zone for the result of the play, it is treated as a safety. On the try, that safety equals one point to the offense.
What the Scoreboard Looks Like
Numbers You May See
Because of the one-point safety, you might see unusual final scores like 19–8, 22–9, or 33–15. The odd extra point can make a score look slightly unusual. If you ever notice a team’s score increase by exactly one point without a kick going through the uprights, a one-point safety might have just happened.
Sequence After the Play
After the try ends with one point awarded to the offense, the ball is brought out for the next kickoff. No additional plays are run for the try unless a penalty calls for a replay of the try down. In most cases, the try is simply over, and the game resumes with normal kickoff procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an offense get a one-point safety on a normal down?
No. Only on the try. In regular play, all safeties are two points, and the team whose offense caused the ball to be dead in its own end zone gives up those two points.
Can a one-point safety happen on a two-point conversion attempt?
Yes. The rule does not depend on whether the offense attempted a kick or a two-point play. It only requires that the defense gain possession and its own action send the ball into its end zone where the play ends. If that happens, the offense gets one point either way.
Does the place of the kick matter on the extra point?
No. Whether the kick was from the standard spot or moved by penalty, the one-point safety rules remain the same. What matters is possession, impetus, and where the ball becomes dead.
Can the defense avoid the one-point safety by intentionally throwing the ball forward from the end zone?
No. An illegal forward pass in the end zone by the defense can itself create enforcement that results in a one-point safety. Trying to cheat the ball out of danger usually makes it worse.
What if the defense recovers in the end zone directly without ever taking the ball out?
This is very tricky and depends on the exact sequence and rule set. If the defense never establishes possession outside the end zone and the offense’s action put the ball there, it may be a touchback or a dead-ball situation with no one-point safety. Generally, for a one-point safety you need defense possession plus defense impetus putting the ball into its end zone before it becomes dead.
Why It’s So Rare
Most Tries Are Simple
Most teams either kick the extra point cleanly or run a short two-point play. There is not much time or space for wild returns. Blocks are not common, and when they happen, defenders are coached to secure the ball and move upfield, not retreat.
Defenses Are More Careful Now
Because coaches teach the risk of a one-point safety, returners on tries are cautious. Many will fall on a loose ball rather than attempt a dangerous lateral or retreat. This reduces the odds of a one-point safety even further.
It Requires a Chain of Unlikely Events
You need a block or turnover, a defender gaining possession, a retreat or mistake that sends the ball into the defender’s end zone, and the play ending there with defensive responsibility. Each step is uncommon. Together, they are almost unheard of.
A Closer Look at the Famous College Example
The Fiesta Bowl Moment
In the Oregon versus Kansas State Fiesta Bowl, the kick on the try after a touchdown was blocked and stayed live. A Kansas State player secured the ball with a chance to return it. Under pressure, the play drifted backward. The ballcarrier ended up in the Kansas State end zone and was ruled down. The officials correctly awarded Oregon a one-point safety. It was a clean application of the rules and a great broadcast lesson for millions of fans, who suddenly learned that this odd scoring result exists.
Why It Was Ruled Correctly
The defense had possession. The defense’s action sent the ball into its own end zone. The play ended there with the defense in possession. Those are the ingredients of a one-point safety on the try. The announcement from the referee made it official and added a single point to Oregon’s score.
Coaching Clinic: Do’s and Don’ts on the Try
For the Defense
Do secure the ball with two hands. Do turn upfield immediately if there is space. Do go down in the field of play rather than drift into your own end zone under pressure. Do avoid laterals unless they are wide-open and safe. Do not backtrack toward your end zone when you have no blockers. Do not bat or kick a loose ball toward your own goal line. Do not assume the whistle will blow; keep playing until it does.
For the Offense
Do cover the returner and keep outside leverage to force him backward. Do chase with angles that push the runner toward the goal line he is defending. Do keep hands legal to avoid fouls that wipe out a good result. Do not try to scoop a ball you cannot control; sometimes forcing the returner to retreat is enough to create a mistake. Do not commit dead-ball fouls after the play; the try result might be set, but you can hurt your field position on the kickoff.
Rule Differences: NCAA, NFL, and High School
Shared Principle
All major codes agree on the basic idea: on the try, the offense can earn one point for a safety when the defense causes the ball to become dead in its own end zone after gaining possession. The defense can score two by returning the ball to the opposite end zone.
NCAA
College football has recorded a couple of one-point safeties at the top level, often called “conversion safeties.” The language in the NCAA rulebook spells out that if Team B gains possession during the try and the ball becomes dead in Team B’s end zone with responsibility on Team B, Team A is awarded one point.
NFL
The NFL recognizes the same concept in its try rules, even though no one-point safety has been recorded in regular-season or playoff history. The defense can return the ball for two, and the offense can receive one if the defense retreats into and down the ball in its own end zone by its own impetus.
High School
High school rules also permit defensive returns for two and one-point safeties for the offense on the try, with minor wording differences depending on the state association. The same fundamentals apply: possession, impetus, end-zone result.
Why Fans Love Learning About It
It’s a Great Rules Test
Once you understand the one-point safety, the rest of the try rules make more sense. You learn how possession and impetus work, why returns are allowed, and how penalties in the end zone are enforced. It is a crash course in rule logic.
It Makes Games More Interesting
When a blocked extra point happens, you can watch with a trained eye. Is the defender moving backward? Is a lateral risky? Could this turn into a rare one-point safety? Even if it does not, you understand the stakes on every movement of the ball.
Summary: How to Recognize a One-Point Safety in Real Time
What to Watch For
First, see if the defense gains possession on the try. Then, watch whether the defender’s own actions move the ball into his team’s end zone. Finally, look for the ball becoming dead there, either by a tackle, the ballcarrier going down, the ball going out of bounds behind the goal line, or a foul enforced in that end zone. If all of that happens, expect the referee to announce a one-point safety for the offense.
What Happens on the Scoreboard
The offense’s total increases by one point, and then the game moves to a normal kickoff. There is no extra try or safety kick. The play is over, the point is awarded, and both teams reset for the next phase of the game.
Conclusion
The one-point safety is one of football’s rarest and most fascinating scoring quirks. It exists only on the try, it requires the defense to gain possession and then accidentally or foolishly put the ball into its own end zone, and it rewards the offense with exactly one point. While you may watch football for years without seeing it, understanding how it works helps you grasp the logic behind the try, the idea of impetus, and the balance between offensive and defensive opportunities after a touchdown. The next time you see a blocked extra point or a chaotic two-point attempt, you will recognize the warning signs, and you will be ready if the referee announces one of the rarest phrases in the sport: one-point safety.