A walk-off touchdown is a touchdown scored in gridiron football that ends the game with the winning team being either behind or tied in points at the beginning of the play.[1][2]
This is considered[by whom?] the most spectacular and rare play during regulation time happening in the 4th quarter when the winning team is losing at the beginning of the play as opposed to being tied.[citation needed] The play clock must say :00 at the end of the play in the 4th quarter & it must be the last play of the game. A walk-off touchdown is much more common during overtime play because of the overtime rules in effect.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Former quarterback Tim Couch has the most walk-off touchdowns from throwing Hail Marys in the NFL with two.[9][10]
Famous walk-off touchdowns in the 4th quarter
edit- The Play, college football, 1982, 5 lateral passes
- Hail Flutie, college football, 1984, Hail Mary pass
- Miracle at Michigan, college football, 1994, Hail Mary pass
- Bluegrass Miracle, college football, 2002, Hail Mary pass
- Mississippi Miracle, college football, 2007, 15 lateral passes
- Prayer at Jordan-Hare, college football, 2013, Hail Mary pass
- Miracle in Motown, National Football League, 2015, Hail Mary pass
- Miracle in Miami, NFL, 2018, 2 lateral passes
- Madhouse in Maryland, NFL, 2024, Hail Mary pass
Walk-off variations
editA walk-off field goal is a very similar play as a walk-off touchdown, just with a field goal winning and ending the game.[11]
A walk-off extra point or two-point conversion are when an extra point is kicked or a two-point conversion is scored with :00 on clock & during the last play of the game. Again, the winning team must have been tied or losing at the beginning of the extra points play. During an extra point attempt or two points attempt, the defense could take the ball the other way for a two point walk-off touchdown.
A walk-off safety is a play that has happened 3 times in the NFL, all in overtime. A safety scores two points.
A walk-off conversion safety could happen during an extra point or a two point conversion attempt. During this type of play, either team could score a 1 point conversion safety.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ NFL Throwback: Greatest walk-off touchdowns, NFL.com
- ^ The Wildest Walk-Off Touchdowns in NFL History, Bleacher Report, December 19th 2018, David Kenyon
- ^ Walk-off touchdowns could end up actually being walk-off touchdowns, CBS Sports, March 23rd 2018
- ^ "NFL Overtime Rules". NFL Football Operations. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "2011 Official Rules and Case Book of the National Football League" (PDF). National Football League. Rule 16, Section 1, Article 5, Paragraphs (e) and (f). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2013.
- ^ "Durbin, Brice (Inducted 2005)". Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ^ "The longest overtime games in FBS college football history | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
- ^ Holaday, Jeremy. "Breaking the Tie" (PDF). Kansas State High School Activities Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 27, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ Staff, S. I. "Hail Mary Finishes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ Kuharsky, Paul (November 15, 2010). "Further examining Jags' Hail Mary winner - AFC South Blog". ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ Analysis: Walkoff field goals and tight games highlight competitive Sunday, Associated Press, November 13th 2023, by Rob Maaddi