What Is A Touchdown In Football?

A touchdown is a way of scoring in football that happens when a player brings the ball into their opponent’s end zone. Touchdowns can be scored through running, passing, or recovering a live ball in the end zone. A touchdown is the highest scoring method in football, worth six points.

Breaking the Plane

For a touchdown to count, the offense must have possession, be in bounds, and the football must cross the plane of the goal line. Unlike in other sports, the player does not need to cross the goal line for a touchdown to count. As long as there is possession and the ball crosses the the goal line, it is ruled a touchdown. Officials are standing on the goal line to make sure the ball carrier breaks the imaginary 3D plane of the goal line when scoring a touchdown.