How Scoring Works in Football: Touchdowns, Field Goals, Safeties and Conversions
Six points for a touchdown, three for a field goal, two for a safety, and one or two for the try after a touchdown. Here is how each score happens and how the numbers add up.
If you have ever watched a game with someone who is new to football, you know the first scoring question: why is the score 17-10 instead of something that looks tidier? Why does a touchdown count six, and then somebody kicks a ball and it counts one more? Why do teams sometimes line up for what looks like the same play and go for two instead?
Football scoring seems odd because it was built in pieces over a long time, and each piece reflects a different kind of achievement: carrying or catching the ball in the end zone, kicking it through the uprights, or trapping the opponent behind their own goal line. Once you know the five basic ways to score, the odd-looking totals make sense, and you can work out in your head which combinations of plays could produce a given score.
This guide covers each way of scoring, how the points are counted, what changes between the NFL, college and high school, and how to read a scoreboard like someone who has done it for years.
The five ways to score
Almost every point in American football comes from one of five events.
| Score | Points | How it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 | The ball is carried, caught or recovered in the opponent's end zone |
| Extra point (point after touchdown) | 1 | A kick through the uprights after a touchdown |
| Two-point conversion | 2 | A play from near the goal line after a touchdown that reaches the end zone |
| Field goal | 3 | A kick through the uprights during regular play |
| Safety | 2 | The offense is tackled or loses the ball dead in its own end zone |
That is the whole list. Everything else on a scoreboard is arithmetic.
The touchdown: six points
A touchdown is the main way to score. It happens when a player with possession of the ball reaches or breaks the plane of the opponent's goal line, or when a player gains possession of the ball in the opponent's end zone. The ball itself, not the player's body, is what counts: a runner who is stopped short but stretches the ball across the line, while the ball is still in his possession, scores.
Touchdowns can come in many ways:
- A rushing touchdown, where a runner carries the ball across the goal line.
- A passing touchdown, where a receiver catches a forward pass in the end zone or catches it short of the goal line and carries it in.
- A return touchdown, where a player returns a kickoff, punt, interception or fumble all the way to the opponent's end zone. People call a defensive return after an interception a "pick-six," because it earns six points.
- A recovery touchdown, where a player falls on a loose ball in the end zone, as can happen after a fumble or a blocked kick.
A touchdown is scored for the team that has possession when the ball becomes dead in the end zone, so a defender who intercepts a pass and runs it back scores for his own team. After any touchdown, the scoring team takes a try for an extra point or two, and then kicks off to the other team.
The line itself is an imaginary vertical plane rising from the goal line. The sidelines and end lines also have orange pylons at the corners. The pylon is part of the end zone, so a runner whose ball touches it, even while stepping out of bounds, can score. That is why you will see runners reach toward the corner of the field.
Whether a ball crossed the plane, or whether a receiver caught it inbounds, is often reviewed by officials. The details of what counts as a catch are covered elsewhere on this site, and different levels apply different standards for replay. For the basic idea, remember that the ball must be in the player's possession, and the player must satisfy the rules of the catch or run, before it counts.
The extra point: one point
After a touchdown, the scoring team gets one more play, called a try or point after touchdown. The most common choice is the extra point, a kick from a set spot that, if it goes through the uprights and over the crossbar, is worth one point.
The spot of the kick differs by level:
- NFL: the ball is placed on the 15-yard line, which makes the kick roughly 33 yards once the end zone and the holder's distance are added.
- College: the ball is placed on the 3-yard line, which makes the kick much shorter, roughly in the low 20-yard range.
- High school: rules are set by the national high school federation and state associations, and the try typically begins from around the 3-yard line. Confirm the exact spot with your state's rulebook.
A touchdown followed by a successful extra point is the familiar seven-point possession. A touchdown followed by a missed kick yields six. Our article on extra point rules covers the rules for the kick, including what happens when it is blocked.
The two-point conversion
Instead of kicking, the team can run or pass a play from near the goal line. If the offense gets the ball across the goal line, it earns two points. This is called a two-point conversion or "going for two."
The line of scrimmage for the play depends on the level:
- NFL: the 2-yard line.
- College: the 3-yard line.
- High school: usually the 3-yard line, though states can differ.
A touchdown plus a successful two-point conversion makes eight points, which is why teams that trail by eight sometimes go for two to catch up in a single possession. Our guide to the two-point conversion walks through the rules and the decision.
One subtlety: if the defense takes the ball away on a conversion attempt and carries it all the way back to the offense's end zone, the defense scores two points in the NFL and in college football. At other levels, the rule may differ, so check the rulebook. Some rulebooks also contain rare scoring results on a try that do not exist in the pros, such as a one-point safety. Those plays are unusual enough that most fans never see one.
The field goal: three points
A field goal is a kick through the uprights during regular play, usually attempted on fourth down when the offense is close enough to try but not close enough to be confident of a touchdown. It is worth three points.
A field goal is normally a placekick: the ball is snapped to a holder, who places it on the ground for the kicker. A drop kick is also legal and also scores three points, though it is almost never seen anymore.
How far is a field goal? A common shortcut is to add 17 yards to the yard line where the ball is snapped. The ball is typically snapped about 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and the end zone is 10 yards deep, which together make 17. A play snapped from the 30-yard line is therefore about a 47-yard kick. This is a rule of thumb, not an official measure, but broadcasts and fans use it constantly.
If the kick fails, the other team takes over. If it succeeds, the scoring team kicks off to the other team. A field goal is not the only way to score three points: a team that attempts a field goal and sees it blocked and returned for a touchdown has lost three and given six. Because the kicker can score from long distances, he is one of the most valuable specialists on the roster.
The safety: two points for the defense
A safety is the least common score. It happens when the offense is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone. Typical examples include:
- A ball carrier who is tackled in his own end zone after carrying the ball in from the field of play.
- A quarterback who is sacked in his own end zone.
- An offensive player who commits a foul, such as holding, in his own end zone.
- A bad snap or fumble that goes out of bounds behind the goal line, when the offense caused it.
A safety is worth two points for the defense. After a safety, the team that was scored on kicks the ball to the other team, usually with a free kick from its own 20-yard line. That rule applies in the NFL and in college; other levels may differ slightly. So a safety gives the defense two points and the ball back.
The key idea is responsibility. If a defender intercepts a pass and his momentum carries him into his own end zone, where he is tackled, the force that moved the ball into the end zone came from the defense, so the result is a touchback instead of a safety. The details of who "supplied the force" are among the more nuanced parts of the rulebook. Our articles on safeties and touchbacks go through the examples.
How the numbers add up
Because the values are 6, 7, 8, 3 and 2, a final score is a combination of those building blocks. Here are the typical packages:
| Package | Points | How |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown + extra point | 7 | The standard way to score |
| Touchdown + two-point conversion | 8 | A team going for two |
| Touchdown, no conversion | 6 | A missed or skipped try |
| Field goal | 3 | A kick in regular play |
| Safety | 2 | A tackle or foul in the end zone |
| Defensive two-point return | 2 | A turnover returned on a try |
Combine them and you can find the likely totals. A score of 10 is a touchdown with an extra point and a field goal. A score of 13 is a touchdown with an extra point plus a touchdown without one, or a touchdown, an extra point and two field goals. A score of 5 is a field goal and a safety. A score of 4 is two safeties. A final score of 2 is possible in theory, in a game with one safety and nothing else, though it is extremely rare.
It is also why some scores are far more common than others in football box scores, and why certain totals appear again and again. A three-point lead can be tied by a field goal, a seven-point lead can be tied by one touchdown with an extra point, and an eight-point lead can be tied by a touchdown with a two-point conversion. The scoreboard is a record of such small moves.
What happens after a score
After a touchdown or field goal, the team that scored kicks off to the other team. After a safety, the scoring team receives the ball by a free kick from the team that was scored upon. This is why a safety is worth more than two points in practice: it gives the defense the points and the ball.
At the end of the first half, play continues until the clock reaches zero. If a team scores as time expires, the rest of the points, such as a try, are still played in most circumstances. Different levels have different rules for scoring on the last play of a game, and some situations, like a try that cannot change the result, may be skipped. Check the rulebook for your level if a game ends this way.
Why the numbers are what they are
The scoring values are partly a matter of history. In the early days, the sport placed more value on kicking than on running the ball across the line. Over time, rule changes raised the value of touchdowns, until six points became standard. The extra point was originally a bonus for a kick after the touchdown, a remnant of the sport's rugby heritage.
Whatever the origin, the present values create balance. A touchdown is worth more than a field goal, which rewards the harder achievement. A field goal is worth more than a safety, but a safety also gives the defense the ball, which rewards a rare defensive stand. The conversion options give a team a decision after each touchdown. The system has been adjusted over the years, which is why some details differ by level.
Reading the scoreboard and the box score
Scoreboards show the total, but the box score shows how a team got there. If you see a team with 20 points, the scoring summary might list two touchdowns with extra points and two field goals (7 + 7 + 3 + 3 = 20), or a touchdown, a two-point conversion and three field goals plus a safety. The scoring summary lists each score with the time and the type.
Fantasy football uses different values from real scoring. A touchdown pass may be four points in one league and six in another, and yards earn points. Do not confuse fantasy scoring with the official score. Our fantasy resources explain the common systems.
You can follow the real scores on our live scores page and see how they feed into the standings. The standings reflect wins and losses rather than points, but points scored and allowed are part of tiebreakers at several levels.
Common questions
Is a touchdown always six points?
At the NFL, college and high school levels, yes. The rest of the points come from the try after the touchdown.
Can a team score on defense?
Yes. A defense can score a touchdown on a return, a safety by tackling the ball carrier in the end zone, and two points by returning a try. It cannot score an extra point.
Can a team score without the ball?
Yes, as the safety and return touchdown examples show. The key is that scoring depends on which team is responsible for the ball's position and which side gets possession in the end zone.
What if the kick hits the goalpost?
A kick that hits the upright or crossbar and then goes through is good. A kick that hits and bounces back or out is not.
Why do teams kick when they could go for two?
Because the odds, the score and the time matter. The extra point is highly reliable, and the two-point conversion is worth twice as much but is harder. The decision depends on circumstances, which is explored in our strategy coverage.
The short version
- A touchdown is worth six points; the try after it is worth one for a kick or two for a play from scrimmage.
- A field goal is worth three, and a rule of thumb says to add 17 yards to the snap spot to find the kick length.
- A safety is worth two points for the defense and gives the defense the ball by a free kick.
- Try spots differ by level: the NFL kicks from the 15 and runs from the 2, while college uses the 3 for both.
- A defense can score by returning a turnover for a touchdown or, at the NFL and college levels, by returning a try for two.
- Final scores are combinations of 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8, which explains why some totals appear so often.
- Fantasy scoring is separate and varies by league.
- When in doubt, check the rulebook for your level.