Yes, it is theoretically possible to score exactly 1 point in NFL football, though it's never happened in a regular-season game due to the bizarre sequence required. This rare scoring play stems from a safety during a post- touchdown conversion attempt, a rule tweak from 2015 borrowed from college football.

How It Works

A one-point safety occurs only after a touchdown during the extra-point or two-point conversion phase. Here's the unlikely chain of events:

  • Team A scores a touchdown and lines up for a one-point PAT kick.
  • The kick is blocked, and Team B (defense) recovers the ball, advancing toward their end zone for two points.
  • Just before crossing the goal line, Team B fumbles; Team A recovers.
  • Team A's player, now with possession, retreats backward into Team B's end zone under their own steam and gets tackled there—awarding Team A a safety worth 1 point instead of the usual 2.

"A single point can be scored when a safety occurs during a conversion attempt."

This mirrors a defensive two-point return but flips it via the fumble and retreat, per NFL Rule 11, Section 5, Article 1.

Real-World Odds

  • Never observed : No NFL game has ended with a lone 1-point score as of February 2026; Madden simulations come closest for fun demos.
  • Forum chatter explodes on this—Reddit threads from r/NFLNoobs and r/nfl debate wild taunt-fumble scenarios, with users like WAR_T0RN1226 sketching plays.
  • CFL differs: They award a "rouge" (1 point) for kicks into the end zone, but that's not NFL.

Multi-Viewpoints

  • Purists' take : "Impossible in practice—requires perfect chaos," says Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, post-Falcons' 2025 social media gaffe.
  • Optimists : "Run it backward 98 yards in Madden for a 6-1 score!" jokes zombieicedragon on Reddit.
  • Skeptics : Older threads insist no, overlooking the 2015 rule change.

Scenario| Points| Likelihood
---|---|---
Standard Safety| 2| Common
PAT Kick| 1| Routine
1-Point Safety| 1| Never in NFL 17
Rouge (CFL only)| 1| Routine there 3

Trending Context

As of early 2026, this quirk resurfaces in offseason hypotheticals amid NFL rule debates—no 2025 games tested it, but viral clips like NBC's breakdown keep it alive. Picture a high-stakes Super Bowl: Falcons up 34-0, botch the PAT, fumble-fest ensues... score flips to 34-1? Pure football fever dream.

TL;DR : Yes via conversion safety, but odds are astronomical—fun fact, not fantasy football fodder.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.