How Scoring Works in the NFL
Updated November 9, 2026. Rules are based on the 2026 NFL rulebook.
There are only a handful of ways to score in the NFL, but the choices around them drive much of the strategy you see on Sundays. Here is what each score is worth and how it happens.
| Score | Points | How it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 | A player carries the ball across the goal line or catches it in the end zone |
| Field goal | 3 | A kick from the field goes through the uprights |
| Safety | 2 | The offense is stopped in its own end zone |
| Extra point (try) | 1 | A kick after a touchdown, snapped from the 15-yard line |
| Two-point conversion (try) | 2 | A run or pass into the end zone after a touchdown, from the 2-yard line |
Touchdowns
A touchdown counts the moment a player with possession of the ball breaks the plane of the goal line, or when a receiver completes a catch in the end zone. The ball only has to reach the line, which is why you will see players stretch it out as they are being tackled. Defenses and special teams can score touchdowns too, by returning an interception, a fumble or a kick.
The try after a touchdown
After every touchdown, the scoring team gets one extra play with the game clock stopped. It picks one of two options:
- Kick for one point. The snap comes from the 15-yard line, which makes it a kick of about 33 yards. It is likely but not automatic.
- Go for two points. The offense runs one play from the 2-yard line and must reach the end zone.
The defense can score on this play as well. If it takes the ball the other way after a block or turnover and returns it to the opposite end zone, it earns two points.
Field goals
The ball is snapped to a holder about seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, and the kicker has to send it between the uprights. The end zone adds another ten yards, so the length of a field goal is roughly the yard line plus 17. A kick from the 30-yard line is about a 47-yard attempt.
If a field goal misses, the opponent usually takes over at the spot of the kick, so a long miss can hand them great field position. That risk is part of the decision on fourth down.
Safeties
Safeties are rare. The defense gets two points when the offense is tackled in its own end zone, when the offense commits certain fouls in its own end zone, or when the offense loses the ball out of the back of its end zone.
A safety also comes with a bonus. The team that gave up the points has to kick the ball away from its own 20-yard line, so the scoring team gets both the points and the ball.
Why final scores look the way they do
Because scores come in sevens and threes, a few margins matter more than others. A three-point lead can be matched by one field goal, and a seven-point lead by one touchdown and extra point. An eight-point lead needs a touchdown and a two-point conversion just to tie. That is why a team may go for two when a single extra point would seem like the safe choice: the coach is thinking about which margin is hardest to overcome.
Two scoring oddities
If a try ends in what would normally be a safety, only one point is awarded, so a final score can technically include a one-point safety. It almost never happens. And if a team forfeits, the official score is 2-0.
To see how these scores add up in real games, check the scoring plays on any recent game page, or learn to read the box score.