FOOTBALL 101: Object of the Game: To Score.
- The object of the game is to outscore your opponent by advancing the football into their endzone (the red section on the diagram below) for as many touchdowns as possible while holding them to as few as possible. There are other ways of scoring, but a touchdown is usually the prime objective.
- Ways to Score.
1. Touchdown: 6 points. When a team gets the ball to the endzone they score.
- "Extra Credit", after a touchdown, the team can choose one of two ways to go for extra points officially called "extra point conversion attempts"
- a. Kick a field goal: 1 point (when a kicker lines up on the 2 yard line and kicks the ball between the goal posts)
- b. Two-point conversion: 2 points (when the offense lines up at the two-yard line and makes one attempt at either running or passing the ball into the end zone. If they make it, they are awarded two points. If they don't, they get no extra points.)
2. Field Goal: 3 points. NOTE: this "field goal" is different from the extra point field goal.
- When a team finds themselves in a fourth-down situation, many times they will attempt to kick a field goal if they feel they are close enough for their kicker to kick the football between the upright bars of the goal post in the opponent's endzone.
- If they decide to kick a field goal, it is only because they do not have enough "chances" left to go for a touchdown, so they settle for a field goal which will give them 3 points.
- The "field goal" after a touchdown is an extra point, but the field goal on 4th down is worth 3 points.
3. Safety: 2 points (when the defense scores)
A team can also pick up two points by tackling an opponent possessing the ball in their own end zone. This usually occurs when the offense (the team with the ball) is very close to their own endzone (their starting point before advancing the ball down the court to score in the opponents endzone). When the ball is snapped to the Quarterback, he may have to run backwards into his endzone before passing the ball. If he is tackled while in the endzone the other team gets a safety and gets 2 points. This is the only time that the Defense can score points in football.
To summarize:
Touchdown = 6 points
Extra Point Conversion = 1 point
Two-Point Conversion = 2 points
Field Goal = 3 points
Safety= 2 points