How Many Points Is A Touchdown Worth In Football?

In American football, a touchdown is one of the most significant scoring plays and is worth 6 points.

1. Scoring a Touchdown:

A touchdown occurs when a player:

• Carries the ball into the opponent’s end zone (either by running or catching a pass).
• Recovers the ball in the opponent’s end zone (e.g., following a fumble or interception).

A touchdown can be scored by any player on the field, as long as the ball crosses the goal line into the end zone, while the player possesses the ball.

2. Additional Scoring Options After a Touchdown:

After a touchdown, a team has the opportunity to score additional points through two methods:

• Extra Point (Point After Touchdown – PAT): After scoring a touchdown, the team can attempt to kick an extra point from the 15-yard line (in the NFL; in college football, it’s kicked from the 3-yard line). If the kick is successful, the team earns 1 additional point, bringing the total to 7 points (6 for the touchdown and 1 for the extra point).
• Two-Point Conversion: Alternatively, the team can attempt a two-point conversion by running or passing the ball into the end zone again from the 2-yard line (in the NFL). If successful, this grants the team 2 additional points, bringing the total to 8 points (6 for the touchdown and 2 for the conversion).
• Safety (rare, but not directly related to touchdowns): Although safeties are not related to touchdowns, they are worth 2 points and can occur after a touchdown, which can make the scoring confusing at times.

3. Touchdown in Different Football Codes:

• NFL (National Football League) and College Football: The rules for scoring a touchdown and the extra point or two-point conversion are similar.
• High School Football: Touchdowns are also worth 6 points, with similar extra point and two-point conversion rules, though the exact yardage for kicks may differ slightly.

4. Touchdown in Relation to Other Scoring Plays:

• Field Goal: A field goal (kicking the ball through the goalposts) is worth 3 points.
• Safety: A safety is worth 2 points.
• Extra Points/Conversions: As explained, these can add 1 or 2 points to a touchdown’s total.

Summary:

• Touchdown = 6 points
• Extra Point (PAT) = 1 point (following a touchdown)
• Two-Point Conversion = 2 points (following a touchdown)

Touchdowns are the most common way to score in football, and the associated points are key to determining the winner of the game!