With the NFL season underway, everyone is waiting for a game to end with a result that has never occurred. There are 1,421 missing scores in NFL history. If a game produces a development that has never happened, the internet goes wild and shouts Scorigami! But what is Scorigami?
Scorigami!
— . (@scottbrownYSE) October 2, 2021Paducah Tilghman beats Trigg County 49-18. That is a scorigami for Trigg County football -- first-ever football score at 49-18.
Trigg now 0-13 all-time against Tilghman
Jon Bois coined the term Scorigami to describe every possible final score in an NFL game that has never occurred before.
In American football, there are several ways to score points. The official scoring rules of the NFL award two points for a safety, three points for a field goal, six points for a touchdown, seven points for a touchdown plus one extra point, and eight points for a touchdown plus two extra points. In 2015, a new rule allowed teams to score one point. Before this, one-point scores were impossible because extra-point plays were ruled dead, and the referees would stop the play.
Despite the various scoring possibilities, many score combinations have never occurred in NFL history. The highest possible score is considered to be 70-70. Some of the basic score combinations that have occurred are 2–2, 4–0, 4–2, 4–3, 4–4, 5–2, 5–4, 5–5, 6–4, 6–5, 7–4, 8–2, 8–4, 9–4, 11–2, and 11–4. After that, the numbers ending in digits 2, 4, 5, and 8 repeats constantly.
Impossible scores in NFL football
It is important to note that specific score outcomes are impossible due to the scoring rules in place. Specifically, results such as 1-1, 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, and 7-1 are not viable.
This is because a score of 5-1 can only be obtained through a field goal and a conventional safety, which is highly unlikely. Similarly, a score of 7-1 is impossible as a team can only reach 7 points by scoring a touchdown and successfully kicking a PAT.
One frequently asked question is:“Why is 6-1 not impossible?”
— Secret Base (@secretbase) September 30, 2021An NFL final score of 6-1 is possible.
It's the ultimate scorigami.https://t.co/c11K7yL94g pic.twitter.com/T92jWZYp7F
6 to 1 was unviableuntil the one-point safety was introduced in 2015. However, it’s such a rare situation under NFL rules that it likely won’t happen any time soon. For the result to be achieved,the winning team has to score a touchdown and, in the following one-point safety attempt, somehow make such a poor play that they end up getting scored against.
This outcome has never happened in the NFLand has only been seen twice in NCAA football.
Check all missing resultshere.
Scorigami in the NFL is a fascinating phenomenon that revolves around unique final scores that have never occurred before in the history of the league. As an enthusiast of football and statistical anomalies, delving into the concept of Scorigami has been a passion of mine.
Jon Bois, a prominent figure in the sports analytics domain, coined the term "Scorigami" to encapsulate every potential final score in an NFL game that has never materialized in past matchups. It's a celebration of unprecedented outcomes, where each unique final score signifies an event that hasn't been witnessed before in the league's history.
Understanding Scorigami involves a grasp of the scoring mechanics in American football. The NFL's scoring rules designate two points for a safety, three for a field goal, six for a touchdown, seven for a touchdown along with an extra point, and eight for a touchdown with a two-point conversion. The addition of a one-point score in 2015 expanded the range of possible scores, previously constrained due to the inability to score a single point during extra-point attempts.
While there are numerous potential score combinations, there remain 1,421 missing scores in NFL history, making each Scorigami event a rare and remarkable occurrence. Notably, certain score combinations like 1-1, 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1, and 7-1 are deemed impossible due to the mechanics of scoring in football. For instance, achieving a score of 5-1 would require a field goal and a conventional safety, an exceedingly unlikely scenario.
However, amidst these impossibilities, the ultimate Scorigami stands as 6-1. This score became viable only after the introduction of the one-point safety in 2015. Yet, it remains an incredibly rare outcome due to its unique circ*mstances. For a 6-1 score to materialize, the winning team must score a touchdown and, during the subsequent one-point safety attempt, allow the opposing team to score against them. This occurrence has never transpired in the NFL and has only been witnessed twice in NCAA football.
The allure of Scorigami lies in its unpredictability and the quest to witness an event that has never graced the history of NFL games. It's an ongoing fascination for enthusiasts and statisticians alike, keeping the football community engaged and eager to witness the birth of new, unprecedented final scores.
The missing scores in NFL history, totaling 1,421, represent potential Scorigami moments, each waiting for that one game to break the trend and etch a unique final score into the annals of football history.
