Rouge Point: The history and everything you need to know

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The rouge, also called a single point, is 1 point that is awarded to a team when the ball is kicked into the opposing team’s end zone and the receiving team does not return the ball back into the play.  

A rouge point can be scored several different ways, such as punts, missed field goals, and even kickoff. For example, if a missed field goal enters the end zone without going through the goalposts, and the defending team fails to return the ball out of the endzone, the kicking team then earns the rouge point. 

The rouge point may also be scored if the ball goes out the back or side of the end zone or if the defending team concedes the point on a kickoff by taking a knee in the end zone. 

Although the exact date of when this point came into play in the CFL is unclear, it has been around for over 100 years and is a long standing tradition for Canadian football. 

The game itself in Canada has deep roots in British rugby, which is where the idea of a rogue point came from. The idea was to reward teams for getting close to or past the goal line with the ball. 

The point remains a controversial topic among people. Fans of the game believe that teams should not get a point for missing a field goal, while others believe it adds a layer of strategy and excitement to special teams play. The debate on if the point should still exist is highly debated today. 

However, the CFL has kept this point around to encourage more exciting plays, like returning the ball out of the endzone. The rouge point is able to give more meaning and tactical plays to long yard field goals and kickoffs, which are usually considered throw away plays.  

In the 108th Grey Cup between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger Cats, the rouge point was a major aspect in the game's outcome. In the last 6 minutes of the game Hamilton gave up 2 single points to Winnipeg. 

These points, along with a field goal, gave Winnipeg the lead. Hamilton was then forced to kick a field goal to tie the game and send it into a Grey Cup overtime, where Winnipeg later went on to win. 

Whether you love it or hate it, the rogue point remains one of the most distinctive features of the CFL. It adds levels of unpredictability and excitement to the game, and proves that a single point can change a game.