In an earlier post we presented the moves that allow scoring points in an American Football Game. Those moves are:

– Touchdown (6 points)

– Field Goal (3 points)

– Safety (2 points)

– Try (1 or 2 points, depending whether it resulted from a field goal/safety/touchdown or a touchdown when the team decides going for another touchdown restarting passing in the end zone)

American Football: Format, NFL 2012/2013 Update and Scoring

The touchdown is the more emblematic move of the game and the one in each more points can be obtained (Possible 8 points from touchdown altough in the majority of cases only 7 points are obtained: 6 for the touchdown+1 point for try kick).

A touchdown can be scored through each of the following ways:

a) The ball crosses the opponent’s team goal line (is on, above or behind its plane) in possession of a runner advancing from the field. The ball is ‘automatically dead’ when the runner is in legal possession of the ball in the this case

b) The ball is in possession of a  runner that receives the ball in the air (airborne runner)  and is on, above or behind the goal line plane and some part of the ball passed over or inside the marks placed in the goal line extremities (pylon – see post image and video). The Touchdown is not awarded, and the ball is not dead, until the player trying to catch the pass (receiver) completes the catch.

c) A ball in possession of a player touches the pylon but only if , after contact by a opponent,  no part of the player’s body (with exception of his feet or hands) hits the ground before touching the pylon.

d) When a player that is legally inside the opponent’s team goal line (‘legally inbounds’) recovers a loose ball that is on, above or behind the goal line.

e) lastly, the referee may also grant a touchdown to a team that was impeded to score one due to an evident unfair act (e.g. by an opponent’s team player). This case is not very common.