What Is a Pick 6 in Football?

If you watch football long enough, you will hear an announcer yell, “Pick six!” and the stadium erupt. But what exactly does that mean? This guide breaks it down in simple, clear terms so you can follow along like a pro. You will learn what a pick six is, how it happens, why it matters so much, and how teams try to create or avoid it. We will also cover key rules in the NFL and college football, famous examples, and small details that help you spot a pick six before it even happens. By the end, you will be able to explain it to friends and enjoy the drama when a defender takes the ball to the house.

What Is a Pick Six?

A pick six is a defensive touchdown scored on an interception. “Pick” is short for “interception,” which happens when a defensive player catches a pass that the quarterback intended for a receiver. “Six” refers to the six points awarded for a touchdown. Put them together, and a pick six is when a defender intercepts the ball and returns it all the way into the end zone for six points.

It is one of the most dramatic plays in football because it swings momentum instantly. The offense goes from driving the field to giving up points in a heartbeat. The crowd flips, coaches scramble, and the scoreboard changes without the offense even tackling the returner.

Why Is It Called “Pick Six”?

Football slang is full of short, punchy words. “Pick” became common because it is easier to say than “interception,” and “six” is the standard value of a touchdown. Announcers love it because the phrase is fast, clear, and exciting. You will also hear related phrases like “pick” or “house call,” but “pick six” is the most widely used when the return reaches the end zone.

How a Pick Six Happens: The Play in Motion

1. The Throw

Every pick six starts with a forward pass from the quarterback. The QB reads the defense, chooses a receiver, and throws the ball. If the read is wrong, the throw is late, the route is jumped, or the ball is tipped, a defender might catch it instead.

2. The Interception

A defensive back, linebacker, or even a lineman catches the pass before it hits the ground. At this moment, the defender becomes a runner, and blockers turn to help escort the return toward the end zone.

3. The Return

The returning defender navigates traffic. Teammates look for legal blocks, the runner follows lanes, and the offense suddenly must become the tackling unit. If the runner crosses the goal line with possession, it is a touchdown for the defense.

4. The Try (Extra Point or Two-Point Attempt)

After the touchdown, the scoring team attempts an extra point or a two-point conversion. Even though the defense scored, it now becomes the “offense” for the try. The scoreboard credits six points for the return, just like any other touchdown.

What Counts as an Interception?

An interception is any legal catch by a defensive player on a forward pass before the ball touches the ground. It does not matter if the ball was tipped by a receiver, bobbled, or bounced off a helmet—if a defender controls it in bounds, it is an interception. If that player then returns it for a touchdown, it becomes a pick six.

Key Rules You Should Know

The Ball Is Live After an Interception

Once a defender secures the ball, play continues as normal. The returner can run, lateral to a teammate, or be tackled. A lateral must go backward or sideways. If the ball is fumbled during the return, either team can recover it.

Scoring and the Extra Point

A pick six is worth six points. Afterward, the scoring team tries a one-point kick or a two-point play. The defense that scored becomes the “offense” for the try. The opposing team may try to block the kick or defend the two-point attempt.

Penalties and Review

Blocks in the back, holds, or personal fouls during the return can take points off the board or move the try back. Most turnovers are reviewable. If the replay shows the defender did not complete the catch, the touchdown is wiped out and the pass is ruled incomplete.

Clock and End-of-Game Situations

If time expires on the clock during the return, the touchdown still counts. Whether the try is attempted depends on league rules and whether the result could affect the game’s outcome. In many cases where the winner cannot change, the try is skipped.

NFL vs. College: Small Differences That Matter

Defensive Returns on Conversion Attempts

In both the NFL and NCAA, if the offense tries a two-point conversion and the defense intercepts or recovers a live ball and returns it to the other end zone, the defense scores two points—not six. That play is not called a pick six; it is a defensive two-point return.

Footwork and Control

In the NFL, a defender must get two feet down in bounds with control to complete an interception. In college, only one foot needs to be down. This affects how many potential picks and returns stand after review.

Overtime and Strategy

College overtime places the ball at a fixed spot for each team, which changes how often defenses gamble for picks. In the NFL, overtime rules with sudden-death elements can make a pick six instantly end the game if it comes on the first possession after a field goal is permitted or during sudden-death moments.

Why a Pick Six Is Such a Big Deal

Instant Momentum Swing

The offense thinks it is driving for points. Suddenly, the defense scores. The stadium energy flips from dread to celebration. Players feel it. Coaches feel it. The crowd responds like few other moments in sports.

Huge Score Impact

You do not just stop the opponent; you add six of your own. That is a double swing—taking points off their potential drive and putting points on the board for you. Even if an interception elsewhere is valuable, a pick six changes games more sharply.

Psychology and Confidence

Quarterbacks can become hesitant after a pick six. Defenses gain confidence to jump routes again. Play callers may shift plans, getting more conservative or trying to force something back quickly, which can lead to more mistakes.

Common Ways Pick Sixes Happen

Jumping Quick Out Routes

Cornerbacks love to jump short sideline routes like outs and hitches. If the QB stares down the target or the timing is late, the corner gets a clean break and an open lane along the sideline to score.

Tipped Balls in Traffic

Passes that bounce off hands become chaos. Defenders track tips well, and with blockers turning around to pursue, the return lanes can open. Many pick sixes begin with a tip at the line or off a receiver’s fingers.

Screen Pass Mishaps

If a defense anticipates a screen, a linebacker or safety can jump the throw without much traffic ahead. With linemen releasing upfield and no one back to tackle, the return can be a sprint to the end zone.

Pressure Forcing Bad Throws

Quarterbacks under heavy pressure throw off-balance or early. A rushed pass to the flat is one of the most dangerous throws in football; if it is off target, it is a gift for a fast defender.

What Does the Offense Do Wrong?

Telegraphing the Throw

Staring at a receiver tells the defender where the ball is going. Good corners read the QB’s eyes. Coordinators coach QBs to “look off” defenders before throwing.

Poor Spacing or Route Depth

If receivers are too close together, defenders can cover two at once. Bad spacing and shallow routes make it easier for a single corner to jump passes and still recover if wrong.

Forcing the Ball

When a quarterback feels pressure to make a big play, he might force a throw into tight coverage. Defensive backs wait for these moments. The best QBs throw the ball away rather than risk a turnover.

How Defenses Hunt for Pick Sixes

Disguised Coverages

Defenses show one look before the snap and switch to another as the play begins. A safety may creep up to fake the run fit, then drop under a slant. A corner may bail late into a zone the QB did not expect.

Film Study and Tendencies

Defenders learn favorite routes by down-and-distance, formation, and field position. If a team throws quick outs on third-and-short, corners sit on that route and jump it.

Pressure Packages

Blitzes rush the throw. The faster the quarterback must decide, the more likely he is to make a mistake. Pressure plus tight underneath coverage is a classic recipe for a pick six.

Field Position and Risk

Danger Zones

Throws to the sideline from the far hash are risky because the ball travels longer in the air, giving corners more time to break on the route. Short, late throws are the most dangerous of all.

Red Zone Considerations

In the red zone, space is tight. Defenders can undercut routes more aggressively. While not every red-zone interception becomes a pick six, short throws with many bodies around the ball increase the odds of a tip and a return.

Pick Six vs. Other Defensive Scores

A pick six is a touchdown on an interception return. A “scoop and score” is a touchdown on a fumble return. A blocked field goal or punt returned for a touchdown is a special teams score. On a two-point conversion try, a defensive return to the opposite end zone scores two points, not six.

Famous Pick Six Moments

James Harrison, Super Bowl XLIII

Right before halftime, Pittsburgh’s James Harrison intercepted a pass near the goal line and returned it the length of the field for a touchdown. It was a 100-yard pick six that changed the entire game’s feel.

Tracy Porter, Super Bowl XLIV

With the game on the line, New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter jumped a quick route and took it to the house, sealing the Saints’ first championship and creating one of the most replayed pick sixes ever.

What Happens After a Pick Six?

Kickoff and Momentum

After the try, the scoring team kicks off. Because the defense just scored, the opposing offense comes right back on the field, often under pressure to respond. Momentum is a real factor—crowds get louder, and offenses tighten up.

Coaching Adjustments

Offensive coaches may call safer plays for a series to settle the quarterback, like runs and high-percentage throws. Defensive coordinators may keep pressing, knowing the quarterback is wary of another mistake.

How Often Do Pick Sixes Happen?

While interceptions are fairly common across a full season, only a fraction are returned for touchdowns. Most picks end with a tackle or the intercepting player stepping out of bounds. The exact rate varies by year and level of play, but fans should remember that a pick six is a special outcome, not the norm.

Spotting a Potential Pick Six Before It Happens

Pre-Snap Alignment

If a corner is sitting close to the line with outside leverage, he may be ready to jump a quick out. Safeties disguised over the middle may be waiting on slants and in-breaking routes.

Quarterback Eyes and Drop

A QB staring down his first read on a short drop (like a three-step drop) often signals a fast throw. Corners feast on this timing. Quick throws to the far hash can be particularly risky.

Down-and-Distance Patterns

Watch for teams that favor predictable routes on third-and-short. If the broadcast mentions a tendency, expect defenders to anticipate it as well.

Penalties That Can Affect a Pick Six

Defensive Fouls During the Return

An illegal block in the back or a hold by the returning team can bring the touchdown back. In that case, the interception stands, but the ball is placed further away due to the penalty.

Offensive Fouls During the Pass

If the offense commits pass interference before the interception, the penalty can wipe out the pick entirely. However, if the foul happens after the interception, penalties are enforced from the return spot or on the try, depending on the infraction.

Roughing the Passer

If a defender hits the QB illegally during the play, the roughing penalty can negate the interception and any return. This is one of the most painful moments for a defense, as a potential pick six disappears.

Replay: When Is a Pick Six Reviewed?

Turnovers are typically reviewed automatically. Officials confirm the interceptor had control and both feet (or required footwork) in bounds, and that no part of the returner stepped out along the sideline. If any part of the return is unclear, the touchdown may be adjusted to the spot where the runner stepped out or may be overturned entirely if control was lost.

Coaching Tips: Creating and Preventing Pick Sixes

For Defensive Backs

Study film to learn route tendencies. Work on “breaking downhill” to the football, especially on outs and hitches. Practice catching drills—hands matter. Learn to finish returns, reading blocks safely and securing the ball against strips.

For Linebackers

Anticipate screens and short crossers. Get depth under slants. Tip balls when you cannot catch them—tips create big plays for teammates. Once you pick it, follow your convoy and protect the ball.

For Quarterbacks

Use your eyes to move defenders. Throw on time and on rhythm. If the route is late or crowded, dirt the ball or take the checkdown. Live to play the next down; a throwaway is better than six points for the other team.

For Receivers

Attack the football, do not wait for it. Use your body to shield defenders. If a pick happens, switch immediately to tackling mode and prevent the return from reaching the end zone.

Analytics in Simple Terms

Football analysts measure how much each play changes the chance of winning. A pick six usually causes a large swing because it adds points quickly and flips field position. Even compared to a normal interception, the effect is bigger since the defense does not need the offense to score afterward. Coaches know this, which is why they are careful about throws with high pick-six risk, especially near the sideline and into tight coverage.

Broadcast Language You Will Hear

“Jumped the Route”

The defender anticipated the route and broke on the ball before the receiver could react.

“Underneath Coverage”

A defender sat under a short route, baiting the throw to pick it off.

“To the House” or “House Call”

Slang for a touchdown return, often used during pick sixes because the defender ran it back all the way.

Situations That Look Like a Pick Six But Are Not

Batted Pass Returned for a Score by the Offense

If the offense catches its own tipped ball and runs it in, that is just a normal offensive touchdown, not a pick six.

Defensive Two-Point Return

On a conversion try after a touchdown, if the defense intercepts and returns the ball, it is worth two points, not six. Announcers won’t call this a pick six.

Fumble Return Touchdown

If the quarterback loses the ball before throwing and a defender picks it up and scores, that is a fumble return TD, not a pick six.

Advanced Nuggets Without the Jargon

Baiting the Throw

Some elite corners pretend to be out of position. They give the QB a window, then close it fast. This is risky but can lead to spectacular pick sixes when timed perfectly.

Boundary vs. Field Side

On wide fields (especially in college), throws to the long side of the field spend more time in the air. Defenders on that side are often coached to attack routes aggressively because they have time to undercut them.

Return Lanes and Ball Security

Defenders are coached to secure the ball high and tight and follow a wedge of blockers, staying near the sideline to reduce traffic and avoid blind-side hits that could cause a fumble.

How Teams Practice for Pick Six Situations

Turnover Circuits

Defenses run drills that start the moment the ball is intercepted—blockers locate the nearest threat, the returner finds a safe lane, and everyone practices staying legal with blocks to avoid flags that take points off the board.

Sudden-Change Periods

Offenses practice tackling after a turnover to prevent the touchdown. Coaches treat it like a defensive drill for the offense—effort, angle, and urgency can save four to seven points.

Myths and Misunderstandings

“Only Cornerbacks Score Pick Sixes”

Not true. Safeties, linebackers, and even defensive linemen have scored on interception returns. Anyone on defense can do it if they catch the ball and find space.

“You Should Always Gamble for a Pick Six”

Smart defenses pick their moments. Gambling too often gives up big plays if the guess is wrong. Teams balance risk and reward based on down, distance, field position, and game context.

“A Pick Six Is Pure Luck”

While tips and bounces happen, most pick sixes come from good preparation—film study, disguise, technique, and disciplined returns make the difference.

Fantasy Football and Betting Context

In fantasy football, a defense/special teams unit scores for touchdowns, so a pick six is a big boost. For betting, a pick six can blow up spreads and totals because it adds points quickly and may cause more aggressive play-calling afterward, leading to additional scoring chances. These swings are a reason live odds move sharply after defensive touchdowns.

What About “Pick Six” in Other Sports?

In horse racing, a “Pick 6” is a type of wager picking winners in six consecutive races. That has nothing to do with football. In football talk, “pick six” always means a touchdown on an interception return.

Quick FAQs

Does the defense kick the extra point after a pick six?

The defense becomes the scoring team and attempts the try, just like any other touchdown. Usually the offense’s kicking unit handles it as part of the scoring team’s special teamers.

Can there be a pick six on a two-point conversion?

No. A defensive return on a two-point try is worth two points, not six.

Can penalties take a pick six off the board?

Yes. Fouls by the returning team during the run can nullify the touchdown. Pre-pass fouls by the offense can also wipe out the interception.

Who gets credit for the touchdown?

The defender who carries the ball into the end zone is credited with the touchdown. The stats also record the interception and return yards.

A Beginner’s Checklist for Watching Pick Sixes

Before the Snap

Look at cornerback depth and leverage. Are they tight to the line? Is a safety creeping toward the middle?

At the Throw

Watch the quarterback’s eyes and footwork. Quick, late throws toward the sideline invite danger.

After the Catch

Once the defense intercepts, follow the returner and the closest blockers. Look for flags. If you see laundry on the field, the touchdown might come back.

A Short History of Defensive Scores

As the passing game expanded over decades, defensive coordinators developed complex coverages and pressure packages. This cat-and-mouse game raised opportunities for interceptions. While the frequency of pick sixes changes year to year, the play remains a signature moment in football—one that can define careers, flip championships, and create highlight reels that live on for years.

Putting It All Together

A pick six is simple at its core: a defender intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown. But the layers beneath it—strategy, timing, disguise, and execution—make it one of the sport’s most thrilling swings. It reflects the entire team’s effort: the coverage that baited the throw, the rush that sped up the quarterback, the hands that secured the ball, and the blocks that cleared the path.

Conclusion

Now you know exactly what a pick six is and why it electrifies a football game. It is six points for the defense, born from preparation and split-second decisions. You understand how and why it happens, the rules that govern it, the differences between levels of play, and what to watch before the ball is even thrown. The next time you hear the announcer shout “Pick six!” you will see the whole story—the coverage, the break, the return lane, and the momentum swing—unfolding before your eyes. And you will enjoy it all the more for knowing how much had to go right in those few unforgettable seconds.