If you’re watching American football and someone says a team “scored a goal,” they probably mean it put points on the board—not that it scored a soccer-style goal. Football has several ways to score, and each is worth a different number of points. The key is to follow what happened on the play and whether the scoring team chose to kick or run a follow-up attempt.
The main ways to score
There are four standard scoring plays in American football: a touchdown, a field goal, a safety, and a successful conversion after a touchdown. The values are mostly the same in the NFL and college football, although some details—such as where conversion attempts begin—vary by league.
| Scoring play | Points | What has to happen |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 | A player carries, catches, or recovers the ball in the opponent’s end zone. |
| Field goal | 3 | The ball is kicked between the uprights and above the crossbar. |
| Safety | 2 | The offense is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone. |
| Successful kick after a touchdown | 1 | The ball is kicked through the uprights on the conversion attempt. |
| Successful two-point conversion | 2 | The offense gets the ball into the end zone on a play after a touchdown. |
Touchdowns: six points
A touchdown is worth six points and is usually the biggest scoring play in a drive. A runner scores by carrying the ball across the opponent’s goal line. The ball only needs to break the plane of the goal line while the player has possession; the runner does not need to put both feet inside the end zone.
Touchdowns can also come from a completed pass, a recovered fumble, or a return. For example, a receiver may catch a pass in the end zone, or a defender may intercept a pass and run it all the way back. In each case, the team gets six points if the player establishes possession and the ball reaches the end zone under the rules.
A touchdown does not always mean a player ran the ball across the line. A quarterback who throws a touchdown pass is credited with a passing touchdown, while the receiver is the player who scored the touchdown. The team gets six points either way.
After a touchdown: one or two more points
After scoring a touchdown, a team gets one play from close to the goal line to add points. It can kick for one point or try to carry or pass the ball into the end zone for two.
Point-after kick
The extra-point kick is worth one point. In the NFL, the ball is snapped from the 15-yard line, so the kick is longer than a simple chip shot from the goal line. The kick must pass between the uprights and above the crossbar. If it misses, the team gets no conversion points.
Two-point conversion
Instead of kicking, the offense can run or pass the ball into the end zone. A successful attempt adds two points; a failed one adds none. Teams may choose this when they need to catch up, want to increase a lead, or like their chances of converting from short range. The decision can change late-game strategy: a team trailing by eight, for instance, may need a touchdown and a successful two-point play just to tie.
Field goals: three points
A field goal is worth three points. The kicker sends the ball through the uprights from a place kick, usually with a teammate holding it. Teams often attempt one when they are close enough to feel the kick is makeable but cannot get a touchdown—or when time is running out.
Field-goal distance is measured from the line of scrimmage to the goalposts, not from where the kicker strikes the ball. In the NFL, the holder is typically positioned about seven yards behind the line, and the end zone adds another ten yards. So a ball snapped from the opponent’s 30-yard line usually produces an attempt of roughly 47 yards.
If the kick misses, the defense takes possession at the spot of the kick in the NFL, subject to the specific play and rule situation. A blocked or short kick can remain live, so players may try to recover it and advance it. A made field goal ends the play and adds three points to the scoreboard.
Safeties: two points for the defense
A safety is generally scored when the offense is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone. A common example is a quarterback tackled behind the goal line while holding the ball. A runner who is tackled there, or an offensive player who commits certain fouls in the end zone, can also give the defense a safety.
After a safety, the team that gave up the points must kick the ball to the opponent. That makes a safety more valuable than its two points alone might suggest: the team that earned it also gets the ball back. It is not the same as a touchback. On a touchback, the ball is dead in the end zone after a kick or other play, but the defense does not receive two points.
How the score adds up
Imagine a team scores a touchdown, makes the extra-point kick, and later adds a field goal. Its score is 6 + 1 + 3 = 10 points. If it instead converts for two after the touchdown, that touchdown drive produces eight points rather than seven.
The points belong to the team, but individual statistics record who did what. The touchdown scorer is credited with a touchdown; the passer may be credited with a passing touchdown; and a kicker gets credit for a successful field goal or extra point. A quarterback who throws the scoring pass does not personally add six points to the team total just for making the throw.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many points is a touchdown worth?
A touchdown is worth six points. The scoring team can then try for one more point with a kick or two more with a run or pass conversion.
Can a team score one point without making an extra-point kick?
Yes, in an unusual case: the defense can score a one-point safety during the opponent’s conversion attempt. It is rare, but the rules allow it.
What is the difference between a field goal and a touchdown?
A touchdown is worth six points and requires the ball to reach the end zone in a scoring player’s possession. A field goal is worth three points and is made by kicking the ball through the uprights.
Does the quarterback get the touchdown points for a touchdown pass?
No. The team receives six points, and the receiver who scores is credited with the touchdown. The quarterback is credited with a passing touchdown, but does not personally add six points to the team’s score.
Final Thoughts
For a quick read of the scoreboard, remember the basic values: six for a touchdown, three for a field goal, and two for a safety. A touchdown can be followed by a one-point kick or a two-point conversion, which is why the same number of touchdowns can produce different final scores. Once you track those pieces separately, the scoring—and the strategy behind it—gets much easier to follow.
Aiden Cross is a sports writer and editor at BeliveSports, covering a broad range of sports with a focus on clear, accurate, and practical information. His work covers rules, techniques, player roles, competitions, equipment, statistics, and the details that help readers better understand how different sports are played. Aiden takes a research-driven approach to sports writing, using reliable sources and established sporting information to provide context rather than simply repeating surface-level facts. His goal is to make complex topics accessible while maintaining the accuracy and depth expected by knowledgeable sports fans. At BeliveSports, Aiden contributes to the site’s editorial standards by focusing on accuracy, clarity, useful context, and reader-first explanations.
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