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For the song by T.I. featuring Eminem, see Touchdown (song).

For Touchdown in Touch Football, see Touch football (rugby league).

Texas Longhorn quarterback Vince Young (center top of picture), now with the Tennessee Titans, rushing for a touchdown vs. Colorado in the 2005 Big 12 Conference college football championship game. A portion of the end zone is seen as the dark strip at the bottom. The vertical yellow bar is part of the goal post.

A touchdown is the primary method of scoring in American and Canadian football. To score a touchdown, one team must take the football into the opposite end zone. This can be done by rushing, in which the ball carrier carries the football forward into the end zone. It can also be done by passing, where an eligible receiver catches a forward pass in the end zone. The receiver can also catch the ball prior to reaching the end zone and carry it across the plane of the end zone. This would still be considered a "passing" touchdown as opposed to a "rushing" touchdown.

Touchdowns are usually scored by the offense. However, the defense can also score a touchdown if they have recovered a fumble or an interception and return it to the opposing end zone.

A touchdown is worth 6 points. The scoring team is also awarded the opportunity for an extra point or a two-point conversion. ^[1]

Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree (right) catching a pass for a touchdown.

When the touchdown was introduced into American football in 1876, it did not award a score; instead, it only allowed the offense the chance to kick for goal by placekick from a spot along a line perpendicular to the goal line and passing through the point where the ball was touched down, or through a process known as a "punt-out", where the attacking team would kick the ball from the point where it was touched down to a teammate. If the teammate could fair catch the ball, he could follow with a try for goal from the spot of the catch, or resume play as normal (in an attempt to touchdown the ball in a spot more advantageous for kicking). ^[2]

In 1881, the rules were modified so that a goal kicked from a touchdown took precedence over a goal kicked from the field in breaking ties.^[2]

In 1882, four touchdowns were determined to take precedence over a goal kicked from the field. Two safeties were equivalent to a touchdown.^[2]

In 1883, points were introduced to football, and a touchdown counted as 4 points. A goal after a touchdown also counted as 4 points.^[2]

In 1889, the provision requiring the ball to actually be touched to the ground was removed. A touchdown was now scored by possessing the ball beyond the goal line.^[2]

In 1897, the touchdown scored 5 points, and the goal after touchdown added an additional point.^[2]

In 1900, the definition of touchdown was changed to include situations where the ball becomes dead on or above the goal line. ^[2]

In 1912, the value of a touchdown was increased to 6 points. The end zone was also added. Prior to the addition of the end zone, forward passes caught beyond the goal line resulted in a loss of possession and a touchback. ^[2]

The ability to score a touchdown on the point-after attempt (two-point conversion) was added to NCAA football in 1958, high school football in 1969, and the NFL in 1994.^{[2] [3]}

The term touchdown is also used:

• formally in the laws of rugby union and rugby league, touch down (two words) is defined as grounding the ball in the in-goal by the defending team, which is done to prevent a try being scored by the attacking team^[4]
• occasionally and informally in rugby union and league, touchdown also refers to grounding the ball on or over the goal line by the attacking team in scoring a try
• for an aircraft landing on a runway
• for a spacecraft landing on a solid surface
• in a colloquial sense to indicate success, an allusion to scoring a touchdown or making a successful return from a flight

• Try
• Touchdown celebration

1. ^ 2006 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations. National Collegiate Athletics Association (2006).
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Nelson, David M. (1994). The Anatomy of A Game. Newark, NJ: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-455-2. 
3. ^ NFL History 1991-2000. NFL.com.
4. ^ Laws of the Game: Rugby Union 2007." International Rugby Board, Dublin, 2007.