What is a touchdown?
A touchdown is the main way to score in American football. A team scores a touchdown by carrying the ball into the opponent's end zone or catching a pass there. It is worth six points.
The end zone is a 10-yard area at each end of the field. A touchdown is scored when a player in possession of the ball crosses the plane of the goal line, even if only the tip of the ball breaks it. A player can also score by catching a pass inside the end zone with both feet, or in college, one foot, in bounds.
After a touchdown, the scoring team gets a chance for extra points. They can kick the ball through the goalposts for one point or try to run or pass the ball into the end zone again from close range for two points, called a two-point conversion.
Celebrations
Players often celebrate touchdowns with dances, spikes of the ball or leaps into the stands, such as the Lambeau Leap made famous by the Green Bay Packers. The NFL relaxed its rules on celebrations in 2017, allowing more group celebrations.
Did You Know?
Jerry Rice holds the NFL career record for touchdowns, with 208, scored mostly with the San Francisco 49ers.