Defensive two-point conversion

[Jim Tom Pinch]

Anyone have any idea when the rule was changed to allow fumbles or interceptions on two-point conversion attempts to be returned for points?

 

[RickStain]

Anyone have any idea when the rule was changed to allow fumbles or interceptions on two-point conversion attempts to be returned for points?

At what level?

 

[Armchair_QB]

It happened before the overtime rule was instituted so that'd would be early 90s at least.

EDIT: You mean in NCAA ball, right?

 

[Jim Tom Pinch]

College.
It was in regulation.

 

[crimsonace]

I think it was sometime around 1991-92.

First time I saw it was in 1993 (everyone was so confused, they put 6 points on the scoreboard at first).

The defensive conversion is only legal in NCAA ball. NFHS & NFL rules do not allow it.

 

[RickStain]

Google searching this reminded me:

Has there ever been a recorded case of the one-point safety on a conversion try?

 

[Starman]

Google searching this reminded me:

Has there ever been a recorded case of the one-point safety on a conversion try?

i.e., when the offensive team fumbles/throws a pick, the defensive team tries to advance, and is downed in the end zone?

I was told by a ref once that on a conversion try, the scoring team can elect to give the opponent the ball at the conversion hashmark (i.e. their own 3 yard line), and if they can throw them back into the end zone (or return a fumble/turnover), they get 1 point.

 

[RickStain]

Google searching this reminded me:

Has there ever been a recorded case of the one-point safety on a conversion try?

i.e., when the offensive team fumbles/throws a pick, the defensive team tries to advance, and is downed in the end zone?

I was told by a ref once that on a conversion try, the scoring team can elect to give the opponent the ball at the conversion hashmark (i.e. their own 3 yard line), and if they can throw them back into the end zone (or return a fumble/turnover), they get 1 point.

Yes. And a google search confirms that it has happened, at least.

Or, alternatively, it is theoretically possible for the offensive team to be safetied on the conversion and one point would be awarded to the defense.

 

[Starman]

Google searching this reminded me:

Has there ever been a recorded case of the one-point safety on a conversion try?

i.e., when the offensive team fumbles/throws a pick, the defensive team tries to advance, and is downed in the end zone?

I was told by a ref once that on a conversion try, the scoring team can elect to give the opponent the ball at the conversion hashmark (i.e. their own 3 yard line), and if they can throw them back into the end zone (or return a fumble/turnover), they get 1 point.

Yes. And a google search confirms that it has happened, at least.

Or, alternatively, it is theoretically possible for the offensive team to be safetied on the conversion and one point would be awarded to the defense.

Which would mean it would be theoretically possible for a team to score 1 point in a football game.

I've seen some PAT tries go horribly wrong -- I remember one which ended up with the team trying the PAT falling on the ball at about midfield -- but never a 97-yard loss on a PAT attempt.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

I first heard about the rule in 1988 or so.
A few years ago, somebody asked me why it isn't a touchdown if the defense recovers the ball on a conversion and returns it to the other end zone.
I can't believe I even had to explain it. The most the team attempting the conversion can score is two points, so the most that can be scored on the play is two points.
Makes sense to me.

 

[zebracoy]

According to page 166 of the 2009 West Virginia media guide, the decision to allow two points if the defense returns a two-point conversion for a touchdown was official in 1988.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

Google searching this reminded me:

Has there ever been a recorded case of the one-point safety on a conversion try?

i.e., when the offensive team fumbles/throws a pick, the defensive team tries to advance, and is downed in the end zone?

I was told by a ref once that on a conversion try, the scoring team can elect to give the opponent the ball at the conversion hashmark (i.e. their own 3 yard line), and if they can throw them back into the end zone (or return a fumble/turnover), they get 1 point.

Yes. And a google search confirms that it has happened, at least.

Or, alternatively, it is theoretically possible for the offensive team to be safetied on the conversion and one point would be awarded to the defense.

Which would mean it would be theoretically possible for a team to score 1 point in a football game.

I've seen some PAT tries go horribly wrong -- I remember one which ended up with the team trying the PAT falling on the ball at about midfield -- but never a 97-yard loss on a PAT attempt.

You'd probably need something weird like three personal fouls, a holding call and a couple of false starts. And even then it'd have to be a hell of a flub.

 

[ucacm]

interception, long run back, stripped from behind around the 5 yard line, guy picks up ball, tries to get the corner by running back into the end zone, gets tackled before he makes it out

 

[Starman]

Not a defensive conversion, but fairly similar:

A few years ago I was covering a game between two pretty bad teams. Let's call them the Cockfloggers and the Meatstrokers.

It came down to 12 seconds left, the Cockfloggers had a 16-12 lead, 4th and 10 on their own 35. They call time out, last time out for either team. The Floggers did have a fairly shifty running QB.

The coach tells the kid, "take the snap, drop back, start running side to side of the field. Burn off as much of the clock as you can. Do not get tackled on the field of play. If anybody on the other team gets near you, turn around and throw the ball as far as you can out of your own end zone."

So the kid takes the snap, drops back, starts running around. The Meatstrokers defense starts closing in on him. He turns, winds up, throws the ball downfield toward his own end zone.

It promptly skips out of bounds on the 2-yard-line. 0:01.

:o :o

(And it was their own home field, so they couldn't scream about the clock operator.)

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

Not a defensive conversion, but fairly similar:

A few years ago I was covering a game between two pretty bad teams. Let's call them the Cockfloggers and the Meatstrokers.

It came down to 12 seconds left, the Cockfloggers had a 16-12 lead, 4th and 10 on their own 35. They call time out, last time out for either team. The Floggers did have a fairly shifty running QB.

The coach tells the kid, "take the snap, drop back, start running side to side of the field. Burn off as much of the clock as you can. Do not get tackled on the field of play. If anybody on the other team gets near you, turn around and throw the ball as far as you can out of your own end zone."

So the kid takes the snap, drops back, starts running around. The Meatstrokers defense starts closing in on him. He turns, winds up, throws the ball downfield toward his own end zone.

It promptly skips out of bounds on the 2-yard-line. 0:01.

:o :o

(And it was their own home field, so they couldn't scream about the clock operator.)

they should have just told the QB to run and then take a safety on the ensuing punt. there most likely would not have been any time left.

Back to the tread, the 2-point conversion rule is only applicable in College and the NFL. In High school, the ball is whistled dead on the turnover. (that is with a caveat for Texas and Massachusetts who play under NCAA rules)

 

[spnited]

The defensive two-point conversion is among the dumbest rules in the history of sports.

 

[Bubbler]

I remember SMU scoring on one shortly after it revived football in the late 80s.

 

[exmediahack]

Saw one of those quirky 2-point defensive conversions. Wisconsin at Indiana, 1993. Nobody, from the players to the fans, seemed to have any idea what was happening as IU blocked an extra point and started running it back.

 

[crimsonace]

Saw one of those quirky 2-point defensive conversions. Wisconsin at Indiana, 1993. Nobody, from the players to the fans, seemed to have any idea what was happening as IU blocked an extra point and started running it back.

That was the one I was referring to ... IU's scoreboard operator put six points on the board at first. I knew the rule, but I was about the only one.

It's still the only one I've ever seen -- live or on TV (other than in highlights).

 

[RickStain]

Now that I think about it, I'm almost positive I saw one live at Eastern Illinois a few years back. I'm too lazy to look it up to be sure.