Touchdowns, extra points, and two-point conversions, explained.

What counts as a touchdown

A touchdown is scored when a player legally possesses the ball and the ball reaches the opponent's goal line plane, or when a player legally gains possession of a live ball in the opponent's end zone. The entire player does not have to cross the line. The key object is the ball, and the key condition is legal possession.

For a runner, the ball usually only has to touch, break, or be above the plane of the goal line while the runner has possession and the ball is live. For a receiver, officials must first decide whether the pass was legally caught. If the catch is incomplete, there is no touchdown even if the ball was briefly over the goal line.

How officials confirm the score

1. Confirm the ball was live and the player was legally allowed to possess, catch, recover, or advance it.
2. Decide whether the player had possession before the ball became dead or went out of bounds.
3. For a runner, judge whether the ball reached the opponent's goal line plane before the player was down, out of bounds, or lost possession.
4. For a catch in the end zone, apply the catch rule: control, inbounds status, and completion of the catch under that code.
5. Check for fouls that cancel the score, are enforced on the try, are enforced on the kickoff, or require another down.
6. If replay is available, use it only under that competition's review rules and standard for changing the on-field call.

The ball breaks the plane, not the player

The phrase "breaking the plane" refers to the ball reaching the vertical plane of the goal line. A player's helmet, foot, knee, or shoulder being in the end zone is not enough by itself. If the ball is short when the runner is down or out of bounds, the result is short of the goal line.

That is why officials focus on the position of the ball at the exact moment the player is down, out of bounds, or no longer in possession. A runner can score while most of their body is outside the end zone, and a runner can fail to score even if part of their body lands in the end zone after the ball was short.

Why catches in the end zone are different

A receiver in the end zone does not score simply by touching the ball. The player must complete a legal catch under the rulebook in use. That normally means control of the ball, the required inbounds body parts, and satisfying the rule for completing the catch through the ground or after contact.

If the receiver controls the ball, meets the inbounds requirement, and completes the catch in the end zone, it is a touchdown. If the ball is bobbled, trapped, or lost before the catch is complete, the pass is incomplete. The possession details are covered more fully in the catch rules page.

What happens after a touchdown

After a touchdown, the scoring team usually receives one untimed try. The try is not a normal first, second, third, or fourth down. It is a special scoring down used to add points after the touchdown.

The offense chooses between a kick try and a two-point try, subject to the competition's rules and any penalty enforcement. In many games, the offense can change its plan after a penalty moves the ball, because a kick from one spot and a run or pass from another spot may carry different risk.

How a PAT kick scores one point

An extra point is also called a PAT, point after touchdown, or one-point try. It is usually a place kick snapped to a holder, then kicked through the uprights. If the kick legally passes above the crossbar and between the uprights, the scoring team adds 1 point.

If the kick is blocked, wide, short, never kicked legally, or otherwise unsuccessful, the offense gets no extra point unless a penalty gives it another try. A try is not replayed simply because the kick missed. The NFL uses a longer kick-try spot than its two-point spot, while college, high school, youth, and flag formats may use different spots.

How a two-point conversion works

A two-point conversion is a try where the offense attempts to score from scrimmage rather than kicking. The offense can run, pass, hand off, or use any legal play for that down. If the ball is legally carried into, caught in, or possessed in the opponent's end zone, the try is successful and worth 2 points.

The same basic touchdown principles apply: the ball matters, possession matters, and a receiver must complete the catch. If the runner is stopped short, the pass is incomplete, the ball is lost before the goal line, or the try otherwise ends without a score, the offense gets no additional points unless a penalty changes the result.

Why the line of scrimmage changes by code

Try spots are not universal. The NFL places one-point kick tries and two-point tries at different distances. NCAA and many high school games commonly use a closer try spot, and youth, flag, and local competitions may use modified distances to fit age, field size, or kicking ability.

This is one reason a coach's decision is not only about "one point or two points." The spot, the kicker, the defense, weather, score, clock, and penalty options all affect the choice. For overtime-specific try rules, see the NFL overtime and college football overtime pages.

Can the defense score on a try?

In some rulebooks, including NFL and NCAA rules, the defense can score 2 points on a try by gaining possession and returning the ball to the opposite end zone. That can happen after an interception, a recovered fumble, or a blocked kick that remains live and is legally advanced.

Other rulebooks treat the try differently. Under many high school rules, the try ends when the defense gains possession, so the defense cannot return it for 2 points. This is one of the most common places where fans apply the rule they know from one level to a game played under a different code.

How fouls affect touchdowns and tries

A foul by the scoring team during the touchdown play can erase the touchdown if accepted and enforced in a way that cancels the score. A defensive foul can allow the touchdown to stand and may be enforced on the try or the following kickoff, depending on timing and the rulebook.

Fouls during the try can move the ball, repeat the try, make the try unsuccessful, award points in rare safety situations, or affect the following kickoff. Dead-ball personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown usually do not wipe out the touchdown by themselves, but they can still create major enforcement consequences.

When the try may not be played

A try is normally part of the touchdown sequence, but end-of-game rules vary. Some rulebooks require the try only when it can affect the final score or a competition procedure. Others may skip it after a walk-off touchdown, in sudden-death overtime, or when the result cannot change.

The safest practical rule is to wait for the officials. They will decide whether the try is required, whether the teams must line up, and where any post-touchdown fouls are enforced.

Misunderstandings to avoid

• "The player got in, so it is a touchdown": the ball must reach the goal line while the player legally possesses it.
• "The ball must touch the ground": American football touchdowns do not require grounding the ball.
• "A catch in the end zone is instant": the receiver still must complete a legal catch.
• "The extra point is automatic": the kick must be legally snapped, held or kicked, and sent through the goal.
• "The defense can always run it back": defensive returns on tries depend on the rulebook.
• "A penalty after the score cancels the touchdown": many post-score dead-ball fouls affect the try or kickoff instead, but timing and enforcement matter.

Source material

• NFL Rulebook: Rule 11, Scoring
• NCAA Football Rules of the Game
• NFHS Football Rules Changes