What Is A Pick-Six In Football? Interception Return Touchdowns Explained

A pick-six happens when a defensive player intercepts a forward pass and returns the interception for a touchdown.

The term combines two pieces of football slang: a “pick” is an interception, while “six” refers to the six points awarded for a touchdown. Instead of merely creating a turnover, the defense scores without its offense having to take the field.

Pick-sixes can dramatically change games because one play simultaneously ends the opponent’s possession, changes field position and puts six points on the scoreboard. [NFL]

What Does Pick-Six Mean?

The formula is simple:

Interception + return for a touchdown = pick-six.

For example, imagine a quarterback throws toward a receiver at midfield. A cornerback steps in front of the pass, intercepts it and runs 50 yards into the opposite end zone.

That is a pick-six.

If the defender intercepts the same pass but is tackled before reaching the end zone, it is only an interception.

Why Is It Called A Pick-Six?

“Pick” is common football slang for an interception.

A defensive back who intercepts a pass may therefore be described as “picking off” the quarterback.

The “six” represents the six points scored for a touchdown.

Put the two together and an interception returned for a touchdown becomes a pick-six.

How Many Points Is A Pick-Six Worth?

A pick-six scores six points, just like any other touchdown.

The scoring team then normally attempts an extra point or a two-point conversion.

That means a pick-six can ultimately produce:

• 6 points if the conversion fails
• 7 points with a successful extra point
• 8 points with a successful two-point conversion

The interception return itself is still officially a six-point touchdown. [NFL Rulebook]

Who Gets Credit For A Pick-Six?

The defender who intercepts the pass and carries the ball into the end zone receives credit for an interception-return touchdown.

The quarterback is charged with an interception.

Statistically, the play contributes to the defensive player’s:

• Interceptions
• Interception-return yards
• Defensive touchdowns

The quarterback’s statistics include the interception but do not count the defensive return yardage against his passing-yard total.

Does The Quarterback Get Charged With The Pick-Six?

The quarterback is charged with the interception if the play is officially scored as his interception.

But “pick-six thrown” is generally used as a statistical description rather than a separate basic box-score category comparable to passing touchdowns.

The distinction can matter when evaluating quarterbacks.

An interception may result from:

• A bad throw
• A poor read
• A receiver running the wrong route
• A pass bouncing off a receiver’s hands
• A tipped ball
• A defender making an exceptional play

The quarterback can still be statistically charged with the interception even when another player contributed heavily to the turnover.

Can A Tipped Pass Become A Pick-Six?

Yes.

Suppose a quarterback throws an accurate pass that hits his receiver in the hands.

The receiver fails to catch it, the ball deflects into the air, a linebacker intercepts it and returns it for a touchdown.

The result is still a pick-six.

The quarterback generally receives the interception in the official statistics even though the pass may not have been the primary cause of the turnover.

What Happens After The Defender Intercepts The Ball?

The defender immediately becomes a runner.

The offense and defense effectively reverse roles.

The intercepting player’s teammates become blockers, while the quarterback and his offensive teammates suddenly have to make a tackle.

The play remains live until the ball carrier:

• Is tackled
• Steps out of bounds
• Goes down voluntarily
• Fumbles and the play subsequently ends
• Scores
• Is otherwise ruled down

If the defender reaches the opponent’s end zone while legally possessing the ball, the result is a touchdown.

Can The Quarterback Tackle The Defender?

Yes.

Once the pass is intercepted, the quarterback becomes a defensive player and can attempt to tackle the returner.

This creates some of football’s most unusual moments because quarterbacks normally spend games trying to avoid tackles rather than making them.

Teams sometimes caution quarterbacks against taking unnecessary risks during interception returns because attempting a high-speed tackle can expose them to injury.

Can The Defender Lateral The Ball On A Pick-Six?

Yes.

After an interception, the defense can use legal backward or lateral passes just as an offense can during a normal running play.

For example, a cornerback could intercept the pass, run 30 yards and lateral backward to a teammate who scores.

The play would still produce a defensive touchdown resulting from the interception, although the statistical credit for the return can become more complicated because multiple players possessed the ball.

A forward pass cannot simply be thrown by the return team after the change of possession in the same way an ordinary offensive passing play begins.

What If The Defender Intercepts The Ball In His Own End Zone?

Several things can happen.

If the defender intercepts the pass in his own end zone and takes a knee or the play otherwise results in a touchback, his team receives possession according to the applicable touchback rules.

If he decides to run the ball out, the play remains live.

If he travels the entire length of the field and reaches the opposite end zone, he has scored a pick-six.

That can create interception returns approaching 100 yards or more.

Can A Pick-Six Be More Than 100 Yards?

Yes.

The NFL field itself is 100 yards from goal line to goal line, but an interception can occur inside the defender’s own end zone.

Official return-yard calculations can therefore produce plays around the full length of the field.

Long interception returns are especially dramatic because they can turn what appeared to be an imminent offensive touchdown into a defensive touchdown at the opposite end.

What Is A Red-Zone Pick-Six?

A red-zone pick-six occurs when the offense is threatening to score inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and instead throws an interception that is returned for a touchdown.

These plays create enormous swings.

Imagine a team is at the opponent’s 5-yard line and appears likely to score seven points.

The quarterback throws an interception that is returned 95 yards for a touchdown.

Instead of potentially gaining seven points, the offense has surrendered six or seven to the opponent.

The practical swing can therefore approach 14 points.

Can A Pick-Six Happen On Any Down?

Yes.

It can happen on first, second, third or fourth down.

The down does not matter.

Once the defender legally intercepts the forward pass, possession changes immediately.

If the defender scores on the return, it is a touchdown.

What Happens If There Is A Penalty During A Pick-Six?

It depends on the penalty, which team committed it and when it occurred.

A defensive penalty before the interception could potentially erase the turnover.

A foul during the return could eliminate the touchdown while allowing the intercepting team to retain possession at the spot determined by enforcement.

Some penalties can be enforced on the succeeding play or conversion attempt.

Because penalty enforcement depends heavily on timing and the type of foul, a play that appears to be a pick-six can be changed after officials announce the penalty. [NFL Rulebook]

Can Replay Overturn A Pick-Six?

Yes.

Touchdowns and turnovers are subject to replay review under NFL rules.

Replay officials can examine issues such as:

• Whether the defender actually caught the ball
• Whether the pass hit the ground
• Whether the intended receiver caught the ball first
• Whether the returner stepped out of bounds
• Whether the runner crossed the goal line

A spectacular interception return can therefore disappear if replay determines the original interception should not have counted.

What If The Defender Fumbles During The Return?

The ball remains live.

If the intercepting defender fumbles before reaching the end zone, either team can potentially recover the ball under the normal rules governing fumbles.

If the original offense recovers, it can regain possession despite having thrown an interception earlier in the play.

If the intercepting team recovers and subsequently scores legally, the result can still become a defensive touchdown.

Can An Interception On A Two-Point Conversion Be A Pick-Six?

Not in the normal six-point sense.

During an NFL two-point conversion attempt, the defense can gain possession and return the ball to the opposite end zone.

But the result is worth two points, not six.

It is therefore sometimes informally compared with a pick-six, but it is officially a defensive two-point conversion rather than a six-point interception-return touchdown. [NFL]

Can A Pick-Six Happen In College Football?

Yes.

The basic concept is the same in college football.

A defender intercepts a legal forward pass and returns it for a touchdown.

Pick-sixes also occur in high school football and other forms of American football.

Is A Pick-Six A Defensive Touchdown?

Yes.

A pick-six is categorized as a defensive touchdown because the defense possessed the ball and scored.

Other defensive touchdowns can include fumble returns.

A kickoff or punt returned for a touchdown is normally categorized as a special-teams touchdown rather than a defensive touchdown.

What Is The Difference Between A Pick-Six And A Scoop-And-Score?

The difference is how the defense gains possession.

A pick-six begins with an interception.

A scoop-and-score generally begins when the defense recovers a fumble and returns it for a touchdown.

Both are defensive touchdowns, but they originate from different types of turnovers.

Why Are Pick-Sixes So Important?

A normal interception gives the opposing offense possession.

A pick-six eliminates the need for that offense to score.

The defense does it immediately.

That makes a pick-six valuable in several ways:

• Creates a turnover
• Scores six points
• Can instantly erase a deficit
• Can turn a lead into a deficit
• Changes momentum
• Returns the ball to the opposing offense after the ensuing kickoff

Few individual football plays can change the scoreboard as dramatically.

Why Are Some Pick-Sixes The Quarterback’s Fault?

Many result directly from quarterback mistakes.

A quarterback may:

• Misread the coverage
• Fail to see a defender
• Throw late toward the sideline
• Stare down a receiver
• Force a pass into coverage
• Throw behind the receiver

Defensive backs study quarterbacks specifically for these tendencies.

A cornerback who recognizes a route can sometimes anticipate the throw before the ball leaves the quarterback’s hand.

Why Are Some Pick-Sixes Not Really The Quarterback’s Fault?

Official statistics do not assign blame in the same way fans and coaches do.

A perfectly accurate pass can hit a receiver’s hands, bounce into the air and be intercepted.

The receiver may run the wrong route.

An offensive lineman can allow immediate pressure that affects the throw.

A defender can also simply make an extraordinary play.

The quarterback may still receive the interception statistically.

That is why interception totals require context when evaluating quarterback performance.

What Routes Commonly Produce Pick-Sixes?

Short passes toward the sideline can be especially dangerous when a defender anticipates them.

Examples include:

• Out routes
• Quick screens
• Flat routes
• Slants
• Hitches

If a cornerback jumps one of those routes, there may be very few offensive players between him and the end zone.

That is why an interception on a short pass can sometimes be more likely to become a touchdown than an interception thrown far downfield.

Why Do Quarterbacks Sometimes Throw The Ball Away Instead?

A quarterback under pressure may decide that an incomplete pass is safer than attempting a risky throw.

Throwing the ball away legally can sacrifice the play without risking a turnover.

A forced pass can create an interception — and if defenders have open field in front of them, that mistake can become a pick-six.

Quarterbacks are therefore coached to understand when a play is effectively over.

Who Has Thrown The Most Pick-Sixes In NFL History?

As of September 28, 2026, Matthew Stafford holds the NFL career record with 33 pick-sixes thrown.

Stafford broke Brett Favre’s previous record of 32 when Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga intercepted him and returned the ball 66 yards for a touchdown on September 27, 2026.

The touchdown gave Denver a fourth-quarter lead in its eventual 30-26 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. [Broncos]

The career leaders include several Hall of Fame quarterbacks, illustrating how longevity and passing volume contribute to the statistic. [Pro Football Reference]

Which Quarterbacks Have Thrown The Most Pick-Sixes?

[Pro Football Reference]

Does Throwing A Lot Of Pick-Sixes Mean A Quarterback Is Bad?

Not necessarily.

The career leaderboard includes Favre, Dan Marino, Joe Namath, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning — all Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

Long-term starters attempt far more passes and therefore have more opportunities to accumulate both positive and negative statistics.

A quarterback can simultaneously rank highly in career touchdowns, passing yards, interceptions and pick-sixes simply because he played at a high level for 15 or 20 years.

What Is A Pick-Six At A Glance?

• Pick: Slang for interception
• Six: Six points for a touchdown
• Definition: An interception returned for a touchdown
• Points: Six before the conversion attempt
• Who scores: The intercepting team
• Type of score: Defensive touchdown
• Can it happen on a tipped pass? Yes
• Can the quarterback tackle the returner? Yes
• Can the returner lateral? Yes, backward or sideways
• Can replay erase it? Yes
• Can a two-point interception return be a pick-six? No; it scores two points
• NFL career record for pick-sixes thrown: Matthew Stafford, 33 as of September 28, 2026

What Is The Simplest Way To Understand A Pick-Six?

Think of it as an interception that does not merely give the defense the football — the defense takes the ball all the way to the end zone itself.

If a cornerback intercepts a pass and gets tackled, it is a pick.

If he intercepts it and scores, it is a pick-six.

That difference explains why the play is so damaging to an offense. A quarterback has not simply lost possession. His mistake has immediately put six points on the opponent’s side of the scoreboard.