Touchback

Touchback

In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by the referee when the ball crosses into or through the end zone not in control of the team which put it into play. A touchback is not a play, but a result of events that may occur during a play.

Touchbacks occur when
*A kickoff enters the end zone and is fielded, but not returned, or a kickoff that goes through and out of the end zone.
*A punt enters the end zone, or a player enters the end zone while attempting to field a punt.
*A ball carrier fumbles the ball "within" the field of play, and the ball either goes through the end zone without being recovered, or is recovered by the team that fumbled in their own end zone. (If the fumble occurs in the end zone, however, the result is a safety if the team that fumbled recovers, or a touchdown if the team on defense recovers.)
*A defensive player intercepts a forward pass in the defender's end zone, and then makes an effort or no effort to return the pass. (A forward pass thrown through and out of the end zone, however, is an incomplete pass, and does not result in a touchback.)
*If the kicking team kicks the football into the receiving teams end zone on a kickoff and the receiving team recovers in their end zone and makes an attempt to return the ball but the receiving team is tackled before crossing the goal line it is ruled a touchback

College football

In college football, if a defensive player gains possession of the ball during a play, between his own five-yard line and goal line, and the player's original momentum carries him into the end zone, there is no touchback. Instead, the ball is dead at the point where possession changed. In the National Football League, this rule applies only to pass interceptions (regardless of whether they occur inside the five-yard line).

American football

In standard outdoor American football, the team awarded the touchback receives possession of the ball at its own 20-yard line. In arena football, and other indoor football games, a touchback results in the team awarded the touchback receiving the football at its own five-yard line; this can result from any of the above events except for punting, which is not a part of arena football. (In arena football, a kicked ball usually bounces back into play off of the rebound nets, but the above can still occur when the ball lands in the slack nets behind the goalposts after a kickoff, passes under the rebound nets and out of play, or in the event of fumbles and interceptions.)

Canadian football

In Canadian football, the failure to advance a kicked ball out of the goal area results in a single point being scored by the kickers, as well as possession by the receivers at their 35-yard line. A turn-over by fumble or interception in the defense's goal area results in a scrimmage on the 25-yard line with no points awarded. In the Canadian game the term "touchback" is not used.

Differences

A special rule applies in college football and the NFL with regard to field goal attempts. If a missed field goal occurs in these leagues, where the other team receives possession of the ball depends on the spot from which the ball has been kicked. The ball will be placed either on the twenty or the line of scrimmage of the play in which the attempt was made in college football; either the twenty or the place from which the ball was kicked in the NFL. (In either case, the ball goes to the spot which is further from the goal line.) The purpose of this rule is to discourage low-percentage, long-range field goal attempts and to deemphasize the advantage which can accrue when only one team has a kicker who has a reasonable possibility of success from a great distance. In American high school football, the missed field goal, regardless of where attempted on the field, results in a touchback as long as the attempt breaks the plane of the goal line, and in arena football, the field goal is treated as if it were a punt (punts are disallowed in arena football).


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Touchback — Touch back (t[u^]ch b[a^]k ), n. (Football) The act of touching the football down by a player behind his own goal line when it received its last impulse from an opponent; distinguished from {safety} touchdown. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • touchback — ☆ touchback [tuch′bak΄ ] n. Football a play in which a player grounds the ball behind the player s own goal line when the ball was caused to pass the goal line by an opponent: distinguished from SAFETY (n. 4a) …   English World dictionary

  • Touchback — Este artículo o sección sobre deporte necesita ser wikificado con un formato acorde a las convenciones de estilo. Por favor, edítalo para que las cumpla. Mientras tanto, no elimines este aviso puesto el 16 de octubre de 2007. También puedes… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Touchback — Un touchback est une action de football américain effectuée après un kickoff par le kick returner quand le ballon atterrit dans la zone de l en but de l équipe du receveur. Ce dernier peut alors mettre à genou pour effectuer un touchback et pour… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Touchback — Spielfeld im American Football Der Touchback ist ein Begriff aus dem American Football und aus dem Canadian Football. Als Touchback wird bezeichnet, wenn bei einem Kickoff oder einem Punt durch die Angriffsmannschaft der Ball in die Endzone… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • touchback — noun The result of a play (usually a kickoff or punt) in which the ball passes out the back of the end zone or a team otherwise gains possession of the ball in their own end zone. The ball sailed into the end zone for a touchback and the Eagles… …   Wiktionary

  • touchback — noun Date: circa 1890 a situation in football in which the ball is down behind the goal line after a kick or intercepted forward pass after which it is put in play by the team defending the goal on its own 20 yard line compare safety …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • touchback — /tuch bak /, n. Football. a play in which the ball is downed after having been kicked into the end zone by the opposing team or having been recovered or intercepted there, or in which it has been kicked beyond the end zone. Cf. safety (def. 6a).… …   Universalium

  • touchback — n. trapping of offensive team in its own goal area (Football) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • touchback — noun American Football a ball downed behind one s own goal …   English new terms dictionary

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