---
slug: "extra-point"
title: Extra Point
depth_tier: entry
side: UNIVERSAL
category: Rules
source_id: "RUL-0041"
created: 2026-04-12
updated: 2026-04-19
canonical: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/extra-point
---
# Extra Point

## Short Definition

A 1-point kick after a touchdown from the 15-yard line—nearly automatic and the default scoring choice unless the game situation calls for a two-point attempt.

## Definition

An extra point is a kicked scoring attempt immediately following a touchdown, worth 1 point if successful. The offense lines up from the 15-yard line in the NFL—effectively a 33-yard field goal attempt—with the long snapper, holder, and kicker executing the same mechanic as a field goal. NFL kickers convert extra points at rates above 94%.

The extra point is the default choice after most touchdowns because its conversion rate makes it nearly automatic. Teams build their scoring assumptions around reliably adding 7 points per touchdown rather than 6. A missed extra point in a game decided by one point is the most painful special teams failure in football.

Since 2015, the NFL moved the extra point snap back from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line, creating more meaningful miss risk and making the two-point conversion a more legitimate alternative. The change transformed extra point strategy—coaching staffs now calculate more frequently whether a two-point attempt is worth the variance given the current score.

## Example

"Touchdown—offense runs to the sideline and the extra point unit comes on. Snap, hold, kick—good. Seven points. That's the default: score six on the touchdown, add one with the kick, move on. Unless the score dictates something different."

## Common Confusion

Extra point and two-point conversion are different plays. Both happen immediately after a touchdown, both from the same relative scoring attempt, but an extra point is a kick—worth 1 point, high conversion rate, low variance. A two-point conversion is a scrimmage play—worth 2 points, lower conversion rate, higher variance. Choosing between them is a strategic decision that changes when the game score reaches specific differences.

## Related

- touchdown
- two-point-conversion
- field-goal
- kicker
- long-snapper
- special-teams

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Source: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/extra-point