The most rare score in football is actually the most valuable

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In gridiron football, a safety is often dismissed as a minor scoring fluke. However, experts argue it carries more abstract value than a field goal. Because it grants the scoring team both points and immediate possession of the ball, it can fundamentally shift a game's momentum in a single play.

A safety occurs when a ball carrier is tackled in their own end zone, a foul is committed there by the offense, or the ball becomes dead in the end zone while the defending team is responsible for it. While these plays are statistically rare—with only 1,139 recorded in NFL history through 2025 compared to over 78,000 touchdowns—they offer a unique strategic advantage. Unlike a touchdown or field goal, which forces the scoring team to kick the ball away, a safety allows the scoring team to choose how they reclaim possession. In American football, the conceding team must kick off from their own 20-yard line. In Canadian football, the scoring team has even more options: they can take control at their own 35-yard line or opt for a kickoff. Because of 'reclaimed possession', Brian Burke from Advanced NFL Stats calculates that safeties hold more abstract worth than field goals, even though they yield one fewer point. Teams may even intentionally concede a safety to run down the clock near the end of a game or to improve their field position when pinned deep in their own territory. The rules are nuanced enough to allow for 'conversion safeties,' where a team is awarded just one point during an extra point or two-point try. These are incredibly rare; no conversion safety has occurred in the NFL since 1940. Furthermore, starting in the 2023 season, defenses can now decline a safety in favor of accepting a penalty, potentially allowing them to maintain possession closer to the opponent's goal line if an illegal kick occurs on fourth down.

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