Last Updated on October 15, 2023 by Alex PT
The following scores are not possible in American football: 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, and 7-1. These scores are not possible because the only way to score one point is through a safety, and a safety can only be scored after a touchdown or a field goal.
From 1 to 100 which scores are not possible in football?
Over the years, the scoring rules have evolved which makes the possibility of getting some results reduced to zero percent in the NFL. From a time perspective, there has never been a one-point safety in an NFL game until it was introduced into the existing scoring rules in 2015. The possibility of an NFL game ending with a score line of 1-0 is non-viable unless there is a forfeit. Practically, The mechanics of the game make it impossible to have scores like 1-0,2-1,3-1,4-1 and any other combination of 1 in the NFL. Additionally, any score of over seventy is highly unlikely and has only occurred on rare occasions in over sixty years. In finer detail, leading an opponent with a score of 1-0 is impossible in the NFL because according to the scoring rules, you can only get one point after scoring a touchdown.
What are the impossible scores in the NFL?
1. One Point – NFL Game
In a typical NFL game, it’s impossible to score a single point. This is because the only way to earn a single point is through an “extra point” or “point after touchdown”. However, it’s worth noting that these points can only be earned after a touchdown which contributes six points. Therefore, in theory, the minimum viable score in a standard NFL game should be 6 points (for a touchdown without a successful extra point) and not 1.
2. Two-Point Safety – Improbability
When it comes to a score of 2 points, this is only possible when a safety is scored. A safety occurs when the offense commits a foul or the ball becomes dead in their own end zone. This awards the opposing team 2 points and gives them a free kick. However, NFL games ending with a score of 2-0 is exceedingly rare, with only such recorded game in history: a 1938 clash between the Chicago Cardinals and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
3. Four-Point Game – Not Possible
Four points is arguably the most impossible score in an NFL game. This is due to the fact that there is no combination of scores that could potentially result in a four-point total. Regardless of how you break it down – whether via field goals (3 points), touchdowns (6 points), safeties (2 points), or extra points (1 point) – it’s simply impossible to reach a four-point total.
4. Five-Point Game – Highly Unlikely
A five-point game would require one team to score only a touchdown (without a successful extra point), and the opposing team to record a safety. This is theoretically possible but highly unlikely due to safety occurrences’ rarity.
5. The 6-1 Score – Improbable
A 6-1 score sounds almost as improbable as a 4 or 5-point game. An NFL game could end 6-1 if a team managed to score a touchdown (without a successful extra point) and their opponent only a single extra point. While technically possible, the only way this could occur would be via an extremely rare one-point safety, which happens if a team attempts a 2-point conversion and retreats over 98 yards back into their own end-zone.
To summarize, the intricacies of the NFL scoring system result in certain scores being almost impossible to attain. While oddities can sometimes occur due to rare circumstances like safeties and one-point safeties, it truly makes for added suspense and anticipation during an NFL game.
How Many Times Have 100 Points Been Scored in NFL History?
100 points have been scored in the NFL six times in history, all in regular season games:
- Washington Redskins 72, New York Giants 41 (November 27, 1966)
- Cincinnati Bengals 58, Cleveland Browns 48 (November 28, 2004)
- Los Angeles Rams 54, Kansas City Chiefs 51 (November 19, 2018)
- Oakland Raiders 101, Houston Oilers 61 (October 6, 1963)
- New York Giants 101, New Orleans Saints 65 (October 11, 2015)
- Seattle Seahawks 99, Kansas City Chiefs 97 (November 27, 1983)
What Are the Most Common Scores in the NFL?
The most common scores in the NFL typically result from the various ways points can be scored in the game. Here are the most common scores, along with a brief explanation of how they occur:
- 7 Points (Touchdown + Extra Point): This is the most common score in the NFL. It occurs when a team scores a touchdown by crossing the opponent’s goal line with the football (6 points) and then successfully kicks an extra point through the goalposts (1 point).
- 3 Points (Field Goal): Field goals are the second most common way to score. A team earns 3 points by kicking the football through the opponent’s goalposts during a field goal attempt, typically from a distance.
- 10 Points (Touchdown + Two-Point Conversion): A team can score 10 points by scoring a touchdown (6 points) and then successfully executing a two-point conversion (2 points). This is less common than the 7-point combination.
- 2 Points (Safety): Safeties are relatively rare but still occur. A safety award of 2 points to the defensive team when the offensive team is tackled in their own end zone with the football.
- 6 Points (Touchdown Only): Sometimes, teams score touchdowns but fail to convert the extra point or attempt a two-point conversion. In such cases, they earn 6 points.
- 8 Points (Touchdown + Two-Point Conversion): Less frequently, teams may score a touchdown and successfully execute a two-point conversion, resulting in 8 points.
- 4 Points (Touchdown + Missed Extra Point + Successful Two-Point Conversion): In rare situations, a team may score a touchdown (6 points), miss the extra point (0 points), and then complete a two-point conversion (2 points) to earn 4 points.
What is scorigami?
The term origami is used as a reference to describe scores that have never occurred before in the NFL. As a concept created by John Bois, The word has become a famous chant among football fans whenever an NFL game produces a score line that has never happened in history.
Has there ever score line score in the NFL?
Low-scoring games have occurred several times in the history of the NFL. A 0-0 score line, in particular, has statistically occurred incredibly on 73 occasions. However, the last time such a result occurred in the NFL was in an epic game between the New York Giants and Detroit Lions back in 1943.
How do scoring rules work in the NFL?
For several decades, the scoring rules have constantly passed through periods of evolution with consistent upgrades and innovation by the organizing bodies of the NFL. In basic terms, gaining points in football includes safeties, touchdowns, field goals, and conversions.
Safeties
Teams are awarded two points for safeties in two dimensions. Firstly, the defense is awarded the points when they successfully get the ball in the offensive end zone. Secondly, safety points are also awarded to the defense when a penalty is committed in the offense’s end zone.
Touchdowns
Successful touchdowns are rewarded with a massive six points and it is achieved by getting a player into the opposition’s end zone while in possession of the ball.
Field goals
This brings three points in the bag and it is awarded to the team that successfully kicks the ball through the goalpost at any time.
Conversions
Also known as extra points, this is usually rewarded with one point or two points. After a successful touchdown, the scoring team is allowed to earn an additional one or two points by either kicking the ball through the goal post to gain a point or attempt to get the ball into the opposition’s end zone to gain 2 additional points.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a compiled list of frequently asked questions on the impossible score lines in American football. Let’s check them out!
Are there any numbers impossible to have as a score in the NFL?
Yes! 1-0 is impossible as you can’t score a point throughout the entirety of an NFL unless the point is awarded for a forfeiture case. Aside from this, every other score is achievable in American football.
Can you score 1 point in the NFL?
Due to the implementation of one point rule in the NFL, Scoring one point is possible but highly unlikely.
Has any team ever scored 100 points in the NFL?
Yes! Teams scoring 100 points has happened twice in the history of the NFL. The first was Yale and Dartmouth in 1884, a game that ended 113-0. The second one occurred in a game between Houston Cougars and Tulsa in 1968.
Final words
American football has produced several high-scoring and low-scoring results for several decades. However, some scorelines are impossible to achieve due to the scoring rules that keep evolving through the years. The most glaringly impossible score in the NFL is 1-o. Aside from that, every other score is achievable even if it is yet to happen in the history of the game.
We hope you find this article informative enough to answer your queries about the article topic. For more questions, kindly reach out to us through the comment section.
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References:
https://en.as.com/nfl/what-scores-have-never-happened-in-the-nfl-n/
https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/brain-teaser-there-are-only-six-impossible-scores-in-college-football-ba83ac6013e2
