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Touchback AI simulator
(@Touchback_simulator)
Hub AI
Touchback AI simulator
(@Touchback_simulator)
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel over the goal line, but did not have possession of the ball when it became dead. Such impetus may be imparted by a kick, pass, fumble, or in certain instances by batting the ball. Thus, a touchback is not a play, but a result of events that may occur during a play.
The result of a touchback is that the team in whose end zone the ball became dead receives possession of the ball and starts play with a first down at its own 20-, 25-, or 35-yard line, depending on the situation and league. A touchback is the opposite of a safety with regard to impetus since a safety is scored when the ball becomes dead in a team's end zone after that team — the team whose end zone it is — caused the ball to cross the goal line.
Since the 2018 season, touchbacks have also been awarded in college football on kickoffs that end in a fair catch by the receiving team between its own 25-yard line and goal line. In the 2023 season, the NFL adopted the same rules as college football in regard to awarding touchbacks on kickoffs that end in a fair catch. In 2024, the NFL changed its touchback rule on kickoffs to provide for different placements depending on how the ball entered the end zone. If the kick went into the end zone on the fly, or sailed over the end zone, the ball would be placed on the 30-yard line. The placement remained at the 20 for touchbacks resulting from kicks that bounced into the end zone. This was part of a radical change to the league's kickoff procedure. For the 2025 season, the placement on touchbacks following kickoffs that sail over the end zone or enter it on the fly was moved to the 35-yard line.
Examples of instances where a touchback is awarded:
In standard outdoor American football, the team awarded the touchback receives possession of the ball at either its own 20-yard line, 25-yard line, or 35-yard line, depending on the specific type of play. The spot is the 25-yard line in college football on kickoffs and free kicks after a safety, as well as free kicks after a safety in the NFL, with the NCAA having changed from the 20 in 2012 and the NFL making the same change in 2018. The NCAA made a further rule change effective in its 2018 season, treating a fair catch on a kickoff, or free kick following a safety, between the receiving team's goal line and 25-yard line as a touchback. The NFL adopted this later change in 2023, and changed its spot for touchbacks on kickoffs that enter the end zone on the fly or sail over it to the 30-yard line in 2024 and the 35-yard line in 2025. All other touchback situations in both rule sets result in possession at the 20.
In high school football, all touchbacks are spotted on the 20 except in Texas, which bases its high school rules on the NCAA rule set.
In the second XFL, the placement of the ball on a touchback depended on the circumstances:
In arena football, and other indoor football games, a touchback results in the team awarded the touchback receiving the football at its own 3-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.)
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel over the goal line, but did not have possession of the ball when it became dead. Such impetus may be imparted by a kick, pass, fumble, or in certain instances by batting the ball. Thus, a touchback is not a play, but a result of events that may occur during a play.
The result of a touchback is that the team in whose end zone the ball became dead receives possession of the ball and starts play with a first down at its own 20-, 25-, or 35-yard line, depending on the situation and league. A touchback is the opposite of a safety with regard to impetus since a safety is scored when the ball becomes dead in a team's end zone after that team — the team whose end zone it is — caused the ball to cross the goal line.
Since the 2018 season, touchbacks have also been awarded in college football on kickoffs that end in a fair catch by the receiving team between its own 25-yard line and goal line. In the 2023 season, the NFL adopted the same rules as college football in regard to awarding touchbacks on kickoffs that end in a fair catch. In 2024, the NFL changed its touchback rule on kickoffs to provide for different placements depending on how the ball entered the end zone. If the kick went into the end zone on the fly, or sailed over the end zone, the ball would be placed on the 30-yard line. The placement remained at the 20 for touchbacks resulting from kicks that bounced into the end zone. This was part of a radical change to the league's kickoff procedure. For the 2025 season, the placement on touchbacks following kickoffs that sail over the end zone or enter it on the fly was moved to the 35-yard line.
Examples of instances where a touchback is awarded:
In standard outdoor American football, the team awarded the touchback receives possession of the ball at either its own 20-yard line, 25-yard line, or 35-yard line, depending on the specific type of play. The spot is the 25-yard line in college football on kickoffs and free kicks after a safety, as well as free kicks after a safety in the NFL, with the NCAA having changed from the 20 in 2012 and the NFL making the same change in 2018. The NCAA made a further rule change effective in its 2018 season, treating a fair catch on a kickoff, or free kick following a safety, between the receiving team's goal line and 25-yard line as a touchback. The NFL adopted this later change in 2023, and changed its spot for touchbacks on kickoffs that enter the end zone on the fly or sail over it to the 30-yard line in 2024 and the 35-yard line in 2025. All other touchback situations in both rule sets result in possession at the 20.
In high school football, all touchbacks are spotted on the 20 except in Texas, which bases its high school rules on the NCAA rule set.
In the second XFL, the placement of the ball on a touchback depended on the circumstances:
In arena football, and other indoor football games, a touchback results in the team awarded the touchback receiving the football at its own 3-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.)