# In (Gridiron) Football Scores, Do All Final Digits Occur Randomly? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [February 7, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437 "2023-02-07T16:13:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/21 "2023-02-08T17:21:29Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I’ve been a football fan all my life and I never knew about this! It’s relatively new - they implemented it just a few years ago I believe. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/22 "2023-02-08T17:24:34Z")
I thought the one-point safety was a whoosh, but I looked it up, and I’ll be damned. It would take a catastrophic series of highly-unlikely fuckups for one to happen, but it could happen. I’d love to be in the room when it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/23 "2023-02-08T23:27:21Z")
Isn’t that one of the minor rule differences between college and pro football? Or maybe it was, until a few years ago when the pros changed the rules? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/24 "2023-02-09T11:49:41Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > ETA2: Here’s the one for this year: [Super Bowl Squares Odds 2023: Best & Worst Numbers - ELDORADO](https://www.eldo.co/super-bowl-squares-odds-probabilities-best-worst-numbers.html) Having never heard of Super Bowl squares, but being a keen gambler, I was reading this a couple of days ago. I liked the fact that " The worst draw is a pair of twos, which has happened only 3 times in the 13,557 regular season or playoff games in the Super Bowl era (since 1966)." So 42-12 it is. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/25 "2023-02-09T12:05:24Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > The only way to get an exactly 1 point score is the 1-point safety which has never occurred in the history of the NFL. If I’m not mistaken, if an NFL team forfeits a game, their opponent is awarded a win in the record books by a 1-0 score. So that’s also another way to score just one point - in fact, the **only** possible way for a game to end 1-0. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/26 "2023-02-09T14:55:55Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > if an NFL team forfeits a game, their opponent is awarded a win in the record books by a 1-0 score. Nope, it’s 2-0. From the NFL [rulebook](https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/2022-nfl-rulebook/): > #### SECTION 1 - VALUE OF SCORES > > ##### **ARTICLE 1. WINNING TEAM** > > The team that scores the greater number of points during the entire game is the winner. > > **Note:** If a team forfeits a game, the opponent will be declared the winner by a score of 2-0, but the points will not be added to the winning team’s record for purposes of offensive production or tie-breakers. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/27 "2023-02-09T15:30:31Z")
Since the question is gridiron football, I’ll mention that it’s possible to score 1 point in CFL three-down football. On a field goal attempt, the entire end zone is the scoring area. If the ball goes through the uprights, it’s a three pointer. If the ball doesn’t go through the uprights the other team has to run it out of the endzone (or much more rarely, kick it out). If they fail to do so, the kicking team scores one point. It is thus possible in the CFL to have a 1-0 game. It’s only happened once in league history: > **[The lowest scoring game in modern CFL history - 3DownNation](https://3downnation.com/2020/03/15/the-lowest-scoring-game-in-modern-cfl-history/)** > > Every fan in the league has sat through bad football. Fans in Ottawa and Toronto were certainly treated to plenty of it last season. But few have endured a game that went out of its way to be as dull and unentertaining as fans in Montreal in 1966. It... From the article: > The Rough Riders failed to return the ball out of their end zone and thus conceded a single point and opened the scoring after 56 minutes of play. More generally for the OP’s question, I don’t know how the option for a one-pointer (called a “rouge”) affects the calculations overall? ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/28 "2023-02-09T15:44:43Z")
To date, of the 56 Super Bowls played this far… … — err, excuse me: To date, of the LVI Super Bowls played thus far there has never been a 2-2 final score winning Super Bowl square (e.g., 32-12, 42-22, etc). Only four Super Bowl final scores included one 2: Super Bowl XXXVIII — Patriots **32-29** Panthers Super Bowl XXVII — Cowboys **52-17** Bills Super Bowl XXII — Redskins **42-10** Broncos Super Bowl XI — Raiders **32-14** Vikings Interestingly, the 2 in each of these was from the winning team. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/29 "2023-02-09T21:25:14Z")
Unsurprisingly, in the LVI scores of all Super Bowls, the most common final score is 7/4. (This is without regard to winner or loser.) This score has occurred 5 times. Several combos have occurred 3 times: 4/1, 5/1, 7/0, and 7/1. Again unsurprisingly, the number 7 has appeared in 20 final scores of the 56 games. There have been two games in which both teams score ended in the number 7, both of which were scores of 27-17. The number 1 is second on this list, appearing 16 times. No games ended with both teams scores ending in 1. 4 and 0 have both appeared 15 times in final scores, although there have no games in which both teams scores ended in 4 or where both teams scores ended in 0. And there’s only been one game where one score ended in a 4 and the other ended in a 0. 3 has appeared 12 times, 6 has appeared 10 times, 9 has appeared 9 times, 8 has appeared 6 times, 5 has appeared 5 times, and, as noted by @Bullitt, 2 has appeared 4 times. So if you’re going to go to DraftKings and bet on a square combo, take the square where the 4 row intersects with the 7 column, and the square where the 4 column intersects with the 7 row. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/30 "2023-02-10T16:48:05Z")
Is it too obvious to note that a typical squares game of chance pays out in 25% increments (end of every quarter and final score) and that all four results of every SB should be evaluated for frequency? Though I’ve seen some squares games pay out 20% for each quarter and the final 20% on the final score, which can differ from the fourth quarter if there’s OT. Also, I’m surprised to hear from people who describe themselves as regular gamblers yet have never heard of these things. They are absolutely ubiquitous around my neighborhood for this game and have been for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/31 "2023-02-10T17:27:31Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > They are absolutely ubiquitous around my neighborhood for this game and have been for decades. Where are you from? My brother lives in Philly, and all of his kids use the Super Bowl for school fundraisers. It’s like the biggest money making venture of the year for them, and my Facebook feed is filled with their posts this time of year (this year especially). ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/32 "2023-02-10T17:41:16Z")
I’m in the Baltimore burbs and squares have been popular in bars and workplaces and just about every other kind of social group or gathering since at least the eighties. Because they require no knowledge of football, they appeal to an additional group of people who just want a fun gambling experience. I won’t hijack any further but I’ve always had access to a large variety of prediction contests my whole adult life. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/33 "2023-02-10T18:20:00Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Is it too obvious to note that a typical squares game of chance pays out in 25% increments (end of every quarter and final score) and that all four results of every SB should be evaluated for frequency? Yes, good point on the fact that there are four payouts per game. That looks like a while lotta work to evaluate, however. Every squares game I’ve played has a larger payout for the final score than the first 3 quarters. Usually it’s 20%, 20%, 20%, 40%, which is essentially what you mentioned, but if the game goes into OT, there’s no 4th-quarter payout. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/34 "2023-02-10T18:54:16Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Also, I’m surprised to hear from people who describe themselves as regular gamblers yet have never heard of these things. I have enjoyed my fair share of gambling. My gut instinct is that all of those prop bets are sucker bets, and thus I have never participated or looked into them in any way. I also avoid slot machines for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/35 "2023-02-10T19:08:04Z")
That’s the usual, but we also did (on $10 squares) $125 for first and third quarter, $250 for half, $500 final. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/36 "2023-02-10T19:12:42Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > My gut instinct is that all of those prop bets are sucker bets Participating in a ‘squares’ game isn’t really betting per se, IMO. It’s essentially a game of chance, where your square has a 1-in-100 chance of winning, just like the other 99 squares. So somebody is going to win. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/37 "2023-02-10T19:13:39Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I have enjoyed my fair share of gambling. My gut instinct is that all of those prop bets are sucker bets, and thus I have never participated or looked into them in any way. They aren’t prop bets typically. They are done by friends watching a game together or as an office pool. All of the money that goes in goes out. You select a square and then the numbers are randomly added afterwards. I have been aware of these since I was a kid in the 70s and they had one at the Rose Bowl watch party at my parent’s friend’s place. I am completely surprised that any American sports fan no matter how casual hasn’t encountered one of these. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/38 "2023-02-10T19:18:01Z")
Here is an explanation. > **[Super Bowl squares 2023: Explanation, how to play, rules and printable...](https://sports.nbcsports.com/2023/02/08/super-bowl-squares-2023-explanation-how-to-play-rules-and-printable-template/)** > > Get in on the Super Bowl action from your couch by starting a pool and filling out your squares prior to the big game on Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/39 "2023-02-10T19:18:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s the usual, but we also did (on $10 squares) $125 for first and third quarter, $250 for half, $500 final. Now that I think about it, this payout is more common than what I mentioned above. My local American Legion has 2 or 3 of these contests each Super Bowl. They keep 25% of the pot and pay out something like 15%, 20%, 15%, and 25%. It’s a good fund-raiser for them, plus a fair amount of people gather there to watch the game, which increases the liquor sales. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/40 "2023-02-10T20:12:26Z")
Somebody at work thought the rest of us were suckers. He’d set up the game each year but the square you got wasn’t random - you got to literally pick “7-4” or whatever, and he’d always pick several squares first before going around to other people. I was always surprised at how many people chose to take part in such an obviously rigged version of the game. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437.md?page=3)