Scoring System

Similar to most major sports, the objective of American Football is for one team to score more points than the other team. There are several ways to accumulate the points that make up the final score. The descriptions are:-

TOUCHDOWN = 6 POINTS

A touchdown is the biggest single score in a football game. It is also the biggest goal for an offense. Touchdown is worth six points, and it allows the scoring team an opportunity to attempt to get an extra point. To score a touchdown, a player must carry the ball across the opposition's goal line, or catch a pass in the end zone.

EXTRA POINT and the TWO-POINT CONVERSION = 1 or 2 POINTS

Immediately following a touchdown, the ball is placed at the opponent's two-yard line, where the offense has two options which whether to add one or two more points. The first option is attempting to kick the ball between the opponent's goal posts which the team will get an extra point to their score. It is also called the point after touchdown, conversion or PAT.

If a team elects to go for two extra points, they will line up at the two-yard line and make one attempt at either running or passing the ball into the end zone as the same manner of scoring a touchdown. If they make it, they are awarded two points. If they don't, they get no extra points. Since going for two points is more difficult than kicking an extra point, the offense generally chooses to kick the extra point.

FIELD GOAL = 3 POINTS

If the offense is unable to get into the end zone, it may try to kick a field goal. Field goals are worth three points and often are the deciding plays in the last seconds of close games. They can be attempted from anywhere on the field on any down. Usually a placekicker will attempt to kick the field goals if only he feels that they are close enough to the opposition goalpost. Successful field goals are when the football goes between the upright bars of the goal post.

SAFETY = 2 POINTS

A team can also pick up two points by tackling an opponent ball carrier in his own goal line. The defensive team will then be given possession of the ball. The two points is called a safety.

In Summary:
Touchdown = 6 points
Extra Point Conversion = 1 point
Two-Point Conversion = 2 points
Field Goal = 3 points
Safety= 2 points