American football / Rule 11
Scoring
NFL · 2026In short
Touchdowns, field goals, safeties and tries after touchdowns.
Points on the board
A touchdown scores 6 points, a field goal 3 and a safety 2. A runner scores by possessing the ball across the opponent’s goal-line plane under the applicable boundary rules; the ball need not touch the ground. A receiver must complete a legal catch in the end zone, rather than merely touch the ball there.
The try after a touchdown
A try kick is snapped from the 15-yard line and scores 1 point; a run or pass starts at the 2-yard line and a touchdown scores 2 points. Either team can score a touchdown during the try. A safety during a try is worth 1 point. Penalties can alter the starting spot, and the game clock does not run.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Independent summaries of the supplied NFL 2026 rulebook; NCAA and IFAF rules may differ. The comparison covers standard 15-a-side rugby union.
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