In the NFL, no conversion safety has happened since at least 1940. A defensive conversion safety is also feasible, but extremely unusual; while it has never happened, it is the only way a team might end with a single point in an American football game. The last defensive conversion safety in the NFL was when the Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions 26-21 on December 11, 1940.
In the NCAA, Texas Christian University (TCU) did so in its 1989 season opener against Oklahoma State. Trailing 7-6 with less than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, TCU quarterback Jason White found wide receiver Mark Jones for an 88-yard touchdown pass that gave his team a one-point victory. The play is still considered by many to be the greatest college football play ever recorded. Although NCAA rules stated that each team must advance the ball inside their own 5-yard line before attempting a conversion, several media members argued that because Oklahoma State was not penalized for being offsides, the play was legal.
The last time this happened in the NCAA was when North Carolina Tar Heels defeated Clemson 14-13 in 1990. Due to financial problems, Clemson was forced to use nine players on defense and didn't have a full complement of ten men on the field for part of the game. As a result, the NCAA allowed North Carolina to score a conversion try after they went ahead 7-0 early in the third quarter.
The one-point safety, which can be scored by the offense on an extra point or two-point conversion attempt, is a considerably uncommon occurrence; it has happened at least twice in NCAA Division I football since 1996, most recently in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl. Since at least 1940, there have been no converted safeties in the NFL.
The last time there was a one-point safety in the NFL was in the 2013 NFC Championship Game between the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints. With 5 seconds left on the clock and the score tied at 34 apiece, Russell Wilson threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin to give the Seahawks a 37-34 victory over New Orleans. The play was reviewed by the officials because of a controversial call on Saints cornerback Malcolm Butler, who appeared to make contact with both feet in bounds before he was hit by Wilson. After review, it was determined that Butler had not maintained possession long enough for the ball to be placed in jeopardy and thus was not out of bounds. The one-point safety gave the Seahawks the advantage with only 1 second remaining.
After the game, many people questioned whether the call was correct, but neither coach nor player seemed too concerned about it. "We've got great confidence in those guys [referees], they made the right call," said Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
There is a single place of safety, but it is extremely rare. As in, it's never happened in the NFL, thus it's highly improbable. Because that play occurred on an extra-point try (or a two-point conversion attempt), only one point was awarded, thus the one-point safety.
A two-point conversion, sometimes known as a two-point convert, is a play that a team attempts instead of attempting a one-point conversion immediately after scoring a touchdown.
They are unable to do so. Normal rules do not apply once a touchdown is scored until the other team gains possession. So, if a team threw an interception while trying a 2-point convert (or fumbled the ball for that matter),...
A 2-point pass can be intercepted and returned the opposite way by the defense, but the defending team will only score two points. The same holds true for a fumble recovered by the other team or a blocked PAT run all the way back.
If the offense's kick is blocked, or the two-point conversion attempt is fumbled or intercepted, the defense may be able to run the ball back to the opposing end zone for two points. No, as far as I recall. However, it may be returned for... two points. Because, after all, this is a conversion endeavor.
If a team attempting an extra point or two-point conversion (technically called in the rulebooks as a "try") scores what would ordinarily be a safety, that team is given one point. This is sometimes referred to as a conversion safety or a one-point safety. It has nothing to do with any particular defensive scheme or type of defense; instead, it's based on how the play is classified by the official scorer.
This system was adopted in 1974 by the National Football League (NFL) after a series of controversial calls went against the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders during three playoff games that year. Previously, teams had been awarded points for conversions just like they are today under Rule 11, Section 2, Article 4 of the NFL Rules Book.
The first two occasions this change was made were in the playoffs. The Giants were leading 14-10 over the Vikings in Minneapolis when Phil Luckett missed a 43-yard field goal attempt wide left. Rather than call for another try, the officials conferred and decided to award the game to the Vikings on account of wind damage to the Giants' stadium roof. The Raiders lost to the Washington Redskins 10-7 in Landover after John Lottis missed a 41-yard field goal attempt straight down the middle. Again, the officials conferred and ruled that because the kick went over the crossbar but not entirely through it, the Raiders got the ball back with enough time for one more chance at victory.
When it comes to American football, a safety can be scored in a variety of ways. A ball carrier, for example, might be tackled in his own end zone, or the offense can commit a foul in their own end zone. In both cases, the player who makes the tackle or commits the penalty gets to pick up where they left off before the play, so there's no need to re-scrimmage the play.
The safest way to score a safety is if the ball carrier is stopped in either goal line yardage. On these plays, the safety is automatically awarded to the team that stops the ball carrier. Now, there are times when this doesn't happen; for example, if the ball carrier breaks free from his tackle and runs into open field, there's no one there to stop him and he'll eventually be caught by a player from the other team. But considering how rarely these situations occur, it's safe to say that stopping the ball carrier in his own end zone is the most common way for a safety to be scored.
There are two types of safeties in American football: strong and weak. Both types of safeties can be awarded for different reasons. A strong safety will often come down on a ball carrier in the open field or break up passes in the secondary, while a weak safety will usually just track down returners.
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