How are Points Scored in Football?
There are basically five different ways to score points in football: a touchdown, a field goal, a safety, a two-point conversion, and an extra point. The most valuable scoring play in football is the touchdown, which is worth six points. A touchdown is scored when the player in possession of the football crosses the opposing team’s goal line. In order for a touchdown to be scored, the player’s body does not need to cross the goal line. If any part of the football even touches the “plane” of the goal line — an imaginary plane stretching upward infinitely from the front edge of the line — the play is ruled a touchdown. A touchdown in football comes with the opportunity to score more points. After a touchdown, the scoring team has the option of attempting an extra point or a two-point conversion. An extra point involves a field-goal type place kick, with the line of scrimmage near the 2-yard line.
