What Is a Three-Point Conversion in Football?

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There is no technical “three-point conversion” in football, though teams do get three points for successfully kicking a field goal through the goal posts. The word conversion is typically used when a team scores one or two points in an immediate follow-up play to a touchdown.

A team typically tries to convert a possession into three points when it is unable to make a first down in three plays but is close enough to the end zone for a kicker to get the ball through the goal posts. A team may also kick a field goal on the last play of a half or game.