What Ways Can You Score in NFL Football?

NFL rules provide four ways to score points: touchdowns, conversions, field goals and safeties. Within those four categories, however, there are multiple opportunities to score. Carrying the ball across the goal line for a touchdown covers not only offensive ballcarriers, but also defensive players returning fumbles or interceptions, and returners bringing back punts, kickoffs and blocked field goals.

  1. Touchdown

    • A touchdown is worth 6 points. You can score by carrying the ball across the goal line, catching the ball in the end zone with both feet inbounds, recovering a fumble in your opponents' end zone, or when you are the kicking team, recovering an untouched kickoff in your opponents' end zone.

    Conversion

    • A conversion is worth 1 or 2 points. After a touchdown, the scoring team gets the ball at the 2-yard line and has the option of kicking the ball through the goal posts like a field goal (see below) or trying to run or pass the ball into the end zone like a touchdown. Kicking the conversion, known as an "extra point," "point after touchdown" or "PAT," is worth 1 point. Running or passing into the end zone is worth 2 points. The kick is the easier and safer option, which is why teams rarely "go for two" until late in the game when it becomes absolutely necessary.

    Field Goal

    • The field goal, worth 3 points, is the next best thing if you can't get a touchdown. To get a field goal, your kicker has to put the ball between the uprights of the goal posts. Whether it's a "chip-shot" field goal from 15 yards or a long-shot from 60 yards out, it's worth the same 3 points.

    Safety

    • A safety is worth 2 points. This is the only way the defense can score without actually gaining possession of the ball on a turnover (in which case it could score a touchdown). You can get a safety by tackling an opposing team's ballcarrier behind his own goal line. It's also a safety when an offensive player commits a penalty in his own end zone, an offensive player fumbles the ball out of bounds from his own end zone or an offensive player with possession of the ball steps out of bounds from his own end zone.