I started a thread about this very same topic just a few weeks ago...
overtime rules question
How team A could score a safety in overtime, courtesy of one of the replies to my post:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by tomes1978
If A fumbles the ball at the 5. It rolls to the 1 and stops there. Team B then muffs the ball into the endzone, creating a new force. Team B then recovers the ball in the endzone where it immediately becomes dead. This is the same way the offense can score a one point safety on a try.
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As for the "unfair" thought... I don't see how it's unfair at all. Yeah, A loses the ability to score a field goal or a touchdown, but if they wanted to retain that ability they shouldn't have turned the ball over in the first place. Since B must gain possession for there to be a safety, you have two options on this play:
1) award A with 2 points for the safety, continue with B's series.
2) award A no points (as we would if the fumble was recoverd by B outside of the end zone), and continue with B's series.
At least in #1 B is required to score points of their own via a touchdown or field goal if they want to win the game.