# Rarest plays in sports? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963 "2006-09-08T19:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/41 "2006-09-10T21:38:50Z")
Tranmere goalkeeper Gavin Ward scored against Leyton Orient from a free kick in his own area on 4 September this year. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/42 "2006-09-10T21:39:54Z")
Wrong date. Saturday 2 September. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/43 "2006-09-10T22:10:53Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] On third down, Indiana decides to punt so they can catch Michigan off guard. Unfortunately, they fumbled it and lost about 20-25 yards. So on 4th and 35, they punt again. However, they fumble again and this time Michigan grabbed the ball and ran it down for a touch down. Anyone remember this? [/QUOTE] I’m not sure if we’re thinking about the same thing–I _do_ remember a sequence (10/14/2000) in which Indiana quick-kicked against Michigan on third down and had the kick _blocked_, but recovered to retain possession. Then they punted again on fourth down, and had the kick blocked again and returned for a touchdown. Blocked punts on consecutive plays–very rare indeed. > [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > I was credited with the assist, but not the plus for my +/- rating. It never occurred to me that this was possible . . . but now that you mention it, it seems so obvious! ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/44 "2006-09-10T23:09:42Z")
For college football, I nominate [Tyrone Prothro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3fs29OA2Nw)’s incredible catch last year against Southern Miss. If I live to be a thousand, don’t expect to ever see that catch repeated. Man, I hope that guy’s leg heals fast. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/45 "2006-09-11T00:59:12Z")
On 70/29/2003 Billy Mueller became the fisrt player to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in the same game. I love that man. ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/46 "2006-09-11T01:27:48Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] Last year I was watching one of those awesome NFL Films “history of football” things, and they interviewed a guy who played for (I think) the Steelers in the 70s. He was a cornerback or a safety, IIRC. Something on defense. Early in one game he caught an interception. As the apparently brutal game progressed, the Steelers lost all of their quarterbacks to injury, and the coach asked around the team to see if anyone had ever played quarterback. Our Man piped up and said Yes, he’d played QB in high school, but not since. OK, says the coach, you’re our new QB. So the guy goes into the game at quarterback, and… Becomes the first (and probably last) guy in history to both _catch_ an interception and _throw_ and interception in the same game. I thought that was a pretty cool claim to fame (even if I’ve forgotten his name). And as football gets more and more specialized and playbooks get more complex, I think it’s increasingly unlikely that this will ever happen again. [/QUOTE] The player was Tony Dungy (yes, the Indy coach). ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/47 "2006-09-11T02:08:42Z")
So far this week in the NFL, 6 teams have failed to score a touchdown,(2 of those 6 won),doubt if thats a record tho. ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/48 "2006-09-11T02:34:45Z")
Something I’ve only (somewhat) seen once is the 1 point safety on a conversion in college football. It happened in a Texas/Texas A&M game where the defending team (A&M) fumbled the ball across the goal line and were tackled by the converting team (UT), who promptly earned one point. Even more impossbly is the defensive team scoring that 1 pt. safety, mostly since the offense would have to drop back 97 yards for this to happen 😃 (I’ve done it on _NCAA Football '07_ for shits and giggles, and yes, the defending team does get one point). I suppose it could also work for trivia…“How could an American football team have only 1 point on the board?” ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/49 "2006-09-11T02:52:12Z")
The rarest baseball play has to be the unassisted triple play, which has only been done 12 times in MLB history, and only 5 times since 1927. The last to do it was Rafael Furcal for the Braves against the Cardinals in 2003. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/50 "2006-09-11T02:58:30Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Has a soccer goalkeeper ever scored from a goal kick? I think that would be pretty rare. [/QUOTE] [Here’s another one.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwOaEOYofzw) [And another one.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2GdJZ4abhc) (The pitch looks a little shorter in this one, though.) [Some more.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYJm9bDy_qA) [Another angle of the Colombian one.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx7AKHhDy90) ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/51 "2006-09-11T03:07:59Z")
I came in to post **beergeek279** ’s play, but I have to make a correction: Texas was not “promptly” given 1 point on that play. At first, the officials in the endzone gave the “try no good” signal. Then after a discussion where it was determined that A&M got possession of the kick in the field of play before fumbling it into the endzone, a safety was declared and announced by the referee. The scoreboard operator placed the point on the A&M side of the scoreboard. It was then corrected, but the process from play ending to point being applied to the Texas score probably took 5 minutes. I was trying to help them from my seats in the 50th row of the upper deck, but I guess they couldn’t hear me. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/52 "2006-09-11T04:23:10Z")
[QUOTE=beergeek279] The player was Tony Dungy (yes, the Indy coach). [/QUOTE] Thanks! Wow, I suddenly like Tony Dungy even more than I did before. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/53 "2006-09-11T14:08:53Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] Last year I was watching one of those awesome NFL Films “history of football” things, and they interviewed a guy who played for (I think) the Steelers in the 70s. He was a cornerback or a safety, IIRC. Something on defense. Early in one game he caught an interception. As the apparently brutal game progressed, the Steelers lost all of their quarterbacks to injury, and the coach asked around the team to see if anyone had ever played quarterback. Our Man piped up and said Yes, he’d played QB in high school, but not since. OK, says the coach, you’re our new QB. So the guy goes into the game at quarterback, and… Becomes the first (and probably last) guy in history to both _catch_ an interception and _throw_ and interception in the same game. I thought that was a pretty cool claim to fame (even if I’ve forgotten his name). And as football gets more and more specialized and playbooks get more complex, I think it’s increasingly unlikely that this will ever happen again. [/QUOTE] I seriously doubt he was the first to catch and to throw an interception in the same game. You have to remember the old two way players. In 1943 [Sammy Baugh](http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=21) led the league in defensive interceptions while also being the starting QB for the Redskins and throwing 19 picks. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/54 "2006-09-11T16:18:17Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] One of the most oft-cited baseball oddities: Fernando Tatis, who in 1999 hit two grand slams in the same inning for the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s the only player ever to do hit two in one inning. I guess Chan Ho Park deserves a mention here, too, since he’s the only pitcher ever to give up two grand slams to the same batter in the same inning. [/QUOTE] _sigh_ As a life-long Dodger fan who happened to be watching that game (up until Tatis’ second), I was really, really hoping no one would bring this up. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/55 "2006-09-11T16:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] _sigh_ As a life-long Dodger fan who happened to be watching that game (up until Tatis’ second), I was really, really hoping no one would bring this up. [/QUOTE] Speaking of Dodgers, there was of course Reggie Jackson hotting 4 straight Home runs in 4 consecutive pitches by 4 different pitchers against the Dodgers in the World Series. 1 the night before in his final at bat and 3 the next game. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/56 "2006-09-11T16:29:58Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Speaking of Dodgers, there was of course Reggie Jackson hotting 4 straight Home runs in 4 consecutive pitches by 4 different pitchers against the Dodgers in the World Series. 1 the night before in his final at bat and 3 the next game. Jim [/QUOTE] Fortunately, that was before my time. I have a hard time being bitter about such things. 🙂 And I consider Hee Seop Choi’s three home runs off the same pitcher in consecutive at-bats last year (June 12th, don’t remember the opponent) to make up for that, somehow – logic be damned! ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/57 "2006-09-11T19:30:12Z")
[QUOTE=beergeek279] Something I’ve only (somewhat) seen once is the 1 point safety on a conversion in college football. It happened in a Texas/Texas A&M game where the defending team (A&M) fumbled the ball across the goal line and were tackled by the converting team (UT), who promptly earned one point. Even more impossbly is the defensive team scoring that 1 pt. safety, mostly since the offense would have to drop back 97 yards for this to happen 😃 (I’ve done it on _NCAA Football '07_ for shits and giggles, and yes, the defending team does get one point). I suppose it could also work for trivia…“How could an American football team have only 1 point on the board?” [/QUOTE] I’m having trouble visualizing this one. Who has the ball, and who fumbles it and it gets recovered where? Is this in the NFL rules somewhere or only NCAA? ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/58 "2006-09-11T19:55:18Z")
In the NFL, the defense cannot score on a try, so the try is over when the defense gains possession or a kick is blocked. In NCAA, the defense or offense can score on the try. Touchdowns scored on a try are worth 2 points, safeties and field goals are worth 1 point. The play worked in this manner: Texas scored a TD, as they tend to do early and often against A&M these days. Texas lined up to kick a point after. The snap was muffed, and the kick was a poor one right into the line. The ball was picked up by an A&M player at about the 1 or 2 yard line. This is still a live ball, and A&M can return this for a two-point “touchdown”. The A&M player is hit and fumbles the ball into the endzone. The ball is covered and downed by an A&M player in the endzone. Since A&M was responsible for the ball being in the endzone, this is a safety awarded to Texas. Since this safety occured on the try, Texas still kicks off, and kicks from the 35. (In “open play” the safety would result in A&M kicking from the 20). This play has been enshrined in the NCAA rulebook as Approved Rulings 8-3-1-IV and 8-3-2-XII: 8-3-1-IV: IV. During a try, after having gained possession on the one-yard line, Team B fumbles there and then recovers, and is downed in the Team B end zone. RULING: Safety. Award Team A one point (Rule 8-1-1). 8-3-2-XII: XII. On a one-point try attempt, Team A’s kick is blocked and B75 recovers at the two-yard line. As B75 attempts to advance, he fumbles and the ball rolls into the end zone, where B61 recovers and is downed. RULING: Safety. Award Team A one point (Rule 8-1-1). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/59 "2006-09-11T19:57:39Z")
I saw Brady Anderson get hit by a pitch twice in the same inning. The first one was by Mike Morgan, who, IIRC, hit 3 batters that inning before they pulled him. Yeah, that Mike Morgan who pitched for like 50 years for 75 different teams. I liked him. [QUOTE=HeyHomie] Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers. The kick was returned by Nate Vasher. I’m not 100% sure that it was a Monday night game, but that’s neither here nor there. Vasher himself said that, even though it was a 107-yard TD run, he probably covered about 200 yards with all the zigging and zagging he did. Note how he collapses in the [end zone](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6cdaqY3heI) a the end of the play! [/QUOTE] There was a Ravens MNF game a few years back where I think Jermaine Lewis (maybe) was credited with a 107 yd return. If I’m not mistaken, it was on an end of the half FG attempt that fell short. They might have later changed it to 106 yards. Oh. . . > **[Hall of Famers | Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/players)** > > Visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio & create long-lasting memories. Learn about the Legends of the Game & experience interactive exhibits. It was Chris McAlister. 107 yards. Longest return of missed Fg. Definitely a Monday Night Game. Same page indicates that Ed Reed has the longest interception return (106) yards for a touchdown. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963/60 "2006-09-11T20:20:11Z")
Back in a game in the late 60s, the Oakland Raiders scored in all possible ways (at the time) before the Denver Broncos ran a play from scrimmage. The Raiders took the kickoff, and came down the field to score a TD and extra point. On the kickoff, Floyd Little grabbed the ball on the one and took it back in the end zone for a safety. The Broncos had to kick to the Raiders, who came down to get a field goal. (There was no two-point conversion at the time.) There was also the classic play in 1927 where the Brooklyn Dodgers ended up with three baserunners on third base. Babe Herman hit a double and tried to stretch it to a triple. Chuck Fewster, on first, ran for third, too, while Dazzy Vance – originally on second – got caught in a rundown and retreated to third just as Herman and Fewster arrived. The third baseman tagged them all and waited for the umpire to make a decision; Beans Reardon decided that the rules gave the lead runner (Vance) priority, and the other two runners were out. One good element of the fiasco: the winning run scored on the play. And Babe Herman became a legend\*. 🙂 \*My favorite Babe Herman story: Herman was an atrocious fielder and grew tired of the jokes. (e.g., “He wore a glove for one reason: because it was a league custom.”) Finally, he went up to one sportswriter and said “I’m tired of everyone saying I keep getting hit on the head by fly balls. If you can name a time when that happened, I’ll buy you a dinner.” The sportwriter asked, “How about being hit on the shoulder?” Herman replied, “Oh, no. On the shoulder doesn’t count.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarest-plays-in-sports/371963.md?page=4)