Football is a game of patterns, but every once in a while, the math breaks. You've probably heard the term Scorigami. It’s that weirdly satisfying moment when a game ends with a scoreline that has literally never occurred in the history of the NFL. Think about that for a second. Over 100 years of pro ball, thousands of games, and yet, we’re still finding new ways to combine numbers.
Honestly, it's kinda beautiful.
The concept was birthed by sportswriter Jon Bois back in 2014, and it has since turned into a cult obsession for stat nerds and casual fans alike. As of January 2026, the "Scorigami board"—a massive triangular chart tracking every final score—is a patchwork of green squares (happened) and white voids (never happened). While we’ve checked off over 1,000 unique scores, the empty spaces tell a much more interesting story.
Why Some NFL Scores That Have Never Happened Feel Impossible
You’d think a score like 2-2 would have happened by now. It hasn't. Basically, for a game to end 2-2, both teams would need to record a safety and then just... stop. No field goals. No touchdowns. Just two freak accidents in the end zone.
Actually, a 4-4 tie is even more of a unicorn. To get there, you’d need four safeties in a single game without any other points. In the modern era, teams are too good at moving the ball—or at least kicking it through the uprights—to let that happen.
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Then there’s the "one-point safety." Most fans don't even know this exists. It’s a rule where a team can actually be awarded a single point if a safety occurs during a PAT or a two-point conversion attempt. It’s never happened in the NFL. Not once. Because of that, every possible score ending in "1" (like 6-1, 8-1, or 10-1) remains in the "never happened" column. These aren't just rare; they’re the Great White Whales of the sports world.
The Math of the Void
The reason we still have so many NFL scores that have never happened is simple: football points come in chunks.
- 7 is the standard.
- 3 is the safety net.
- 2 is the rarity.
- 8 is the gamble.
Because of this, scores like 11-10 were once thought to be mythical until the Steelers and Chargers finally did it in 2008. It was a mess of a game, ending on a wild lateral-filled play that resulted in a touchdown being overturned, leaving the score at that bizarre 11-10 mark.
The Most Realistic Scores We're Still Waiting For
It’s genuinely shocking that some "normal" looking scores are still missing. Take 14-2 for instance. That’s just two touchdowns against a single safety. It feels like it should happen every other Sunday. Yet, the history books are empty for that specific combination.
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Here are a few other "reasonable" scores that have never occurred:
- 16-4: Two touchdowns, a two-point conversion, and two safeties? Okay, maybe not that reasonable.
- 12-4: Two touchdowns (missed PATs) vs. two safeties.
- 4-0: This requires a team to score two safeties and then keep a clean sheet. In the 1920s, maybe. In 2026? Good luck.
The 2024 and 2025 seasons were actually pretty productive for the Scorigami hunters. We saw some weird ones, like the Buffalo Bills beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 44-32 in late 2025. That was the 1,095th unique score in history. But as the board fills up, the remaining "white squares" become increasingly deranged. We're getting into the territory where games need to end 58-39 or 61-22 to count as new.
The Impact of Rule Changes on "Impossible" Scores
Rules change the math. When the NFL moved the PAT kick back to the 15-yard line in 2015, the "missed extra point" became a real factor. Suddenly, scores that were previously rare became much more likely.
The two-point conversion, re-introduced in 1994, was the biggest catalyst. Before '94, your scoring options were incredibly rigid. Now? You can chase points, which leads to those "accidental" Scorigamis where a coach goes for two late in a blowout just to practice the play, inadvertently creating a score that's never been seen before.
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Is there a ceiling?
Technically, no. But practically, yes. A score of 100-100 is "possible" in the same way that winning the lottery twice in one day is "possible." The time constraints of a 60-minute game act as a natural barrier. You can't score 200 points because the clock simply runs out. Even if every kickoff was returned for a touchdown, there’s only so much time in the world.
How to Track Scorigami in Real Time
If you want to join the hunt for NFL scores that have never happened, you don't have to do the math yourself. There are dedicated bots on social media platforms that ping every time a game enters "Scorigami territory" in the fourth quarter.
Watch for games where:
- A team has a weird number like 2, 4, 5, or 8.
- The losing team is getting blown out but manages a late, meaningless safety.
- Heavy weather (snow/wind) prevents teams from kicking field goals or PATs.
The weather factor is huge. Most of the lowest-scoring "new" results happen in the mud or the snow where the kickers are basically useless.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Check the Chart: Visit the live Scorigami trackers during the Sunday afternoon window. It adds a whole new layer of excitement to a blowout game.
- Root for Safeties: A safety is the fastest way to turn a boring 20-10 game into a potential history-making 20-12 or 22-10 situation.
- Learn the One-Point Safety: Study the NCAA and NFL rulebooks on "Conversion Safeties." It’s the rarest play in football, and the first person to see it in the NFL will be witnessing a literal once-in-a-century event.
- Watch the Seahawks: Historically, under the Pete Carroll era, Seattle was the king of Scorigami. Keep an eye on teams with unconventional offensive play-calling; they are more likely to land on a weird number.