how many points is a kickoff in football? In American football, the kickoff itself is worth zero points. A return for a touchdown is worth six, while a safety can award two points to the kicking team in certain situations.
The result depends on what happens after the ball is kicked, not on the kickoff alone. This guide explains the main scoring outcomes, what counts as a touchback, and how NFL, college, and Canadian rules differ. You will also see a few examples that make unusual kickoff plays easier to understand.
how many points is a kickoff in football?
In American football, a kickoff does not automatically score points. It starts a free-kick play, usually at the beginning of a half or after a team scores. The teams then try to gain possession and advance the ball, just as they would during other live plays.
The points depend on the play’s result. A player who returns the kickoff to the opponent’s end zone scores a touchdown worth six points. A safety may be worth two points if the receiving team is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone. If neither team scores, play ends with a touchback, a return ending in the field of play, or another dead-ball result.
That means the quick answer is zero points for the kick itself, with six points possible for a touchdown and two possible for a safety. The score is credited for the result of the play, not simply because the ball traveled through the air or into the end zone.
How kickoff plays can affect the score
Most kickoffs do not produce points. The receiving team catches or collects the ball and tries to run it back. The play ends when the returner is tackled, goes out of bounds, or is otherwise ruled down. The receiving team then begins its offensive series from the spot where the play ended, subject to any penalties.
These are the main scoring results to know:
| Kickoff result | Points | Who scores? | Best way to understand it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary kickoff with no score | 0 | Neither team | The play ends with a return, touchback, or dead ball. |
| Kickoff returned for a touchdown | 6 | Receiving team | The returner, or a teammate who gains possession, reaches the other end zone. |
| Safety on the kickoff play | 2 | Kicking team | The receiving team is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone. |
| Kick reaches the end zone and becomes dead | 0 | Neither team | This is generally a touchback, not a score. |
There can also be penalties that change where the next possession begins, but a penalty does not usually add points by itself. Officials first determine whether the ball was live, who had possession, where it became dead, and which team caused the relevant action.
Touchdown: six points
A kickoff return touchdown is the most familiar scoring play that begins with a kickoff. The receiving team gains possession and carries the ball across the opponent’s goal line. The touchdown is worth six points in standard American football rules, whether the returner runs the full length of the field or benefits from a shorter return after a turnover or unusual play.
A touchdown can also follow a loose-ball situation. For example, if the receiving team fumbles and the kicking team legally recovers the ball and carries it into the opponent’s end zone, that team may score a touchdown. The key is that the ball must remain live and the player must gain possession under the rules. A ball that simply flies into the end zone and is not recovered for a live return does not automatically become a touchdown.
After a touchdown, the scoring team gets a try for additional points. In the NFL and college football, a successful kick after the touchdown is worth one point; a successful play from scrimmage is worth two. Those are try points, not extra points awarded for the kickoff itself.
Safety: usually two points
A safety is worth two points for the kicking team when the receiving team is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone. One possible route is a returner who brings the ball out, retreats into the end zone, and is tackled there. A fumble or another possession mistake can also lead to a safety if the receiving team is responsible for the ball ending up dead in that end zone.
Simply having the kickoff land in the end zone does not usually make a safety. If the kick enters the end zone and is downed or becomes dead under the applicable rules, the usual result is a touchback. The receiving team gets the ball at a designated spot instead of conceding points.
Responsibility matters. If the kicking team causes the ball to become dead in its own end zone, the ruling can differ, and a safety is not automatically charged to the receiving team. Officials apply the possession and end-zone rules to the exact play.
What a touchback means on a kickoff
A touchback ends the kickoff play without a score. It commonly occurs when the kick reaches the receiving team’s end zone and the receiving team does not bring the ball out. The receiving team then starts its possession at a spot set by the rules for that league and situation.
A touchback is not a touchdown. The ball being in the end zone is not enough to earn six points. A player must satisfy the requirements for a touchdown, such as gaining possession and legally carrying the ball across the opponent’s goal line during a live play.
Where the ball is placed after a touchback can vary by league, rule set, and the type of kick. NFL and college rules have not always used the same touchback spot, and rule changes can affect field position. If you are following a specific competition, use its current rulebook rather than assuming the spot is identical everywhere. For the scoring question, though, the important point is consistent: a routine touchback is worth zero.
Does the kicking team ever score on a kickoff?
Yes, but not because the kick simply travels a long distance. The kicking team can score if it gains possession during a live play and advances the ball into the opponent’s end zone. For example, a legally recoverable short kick may be recovered by the kicking team after it has traveled the required distance. If the recovery and advance meet the applicable rules, a touchdown can result.
The kicking team may also receive two points for a safety if the receiving team’s actions cause the ball to become dead in the receiving team’s own end zone. That is unusual, but it explains why the kicking team can benefit from a kickoff play in more than one way.
There are limits on what a kick itself can score in American football. A kickoff is a free kick, meaning it begins a play without a snap from scrimmage. A ball that goes through the uprights on a kickoff is not a field goal. Field goals are scored on scrimmage plays, so an untouched kickoff that passes through the goalposts does not earn three points.
This is a common point of confusion: the ball may look like a place kick aimed at the posts, but the type of play determines whether it can count as a field goal. The same ball traveling through the uprights can have different significance depending on whether it was kicked from a scrimmage play or a kickoff.
Kickoff scoring in the NFL, college, and Canada
The basic American football scoring values are similar across the NFL and college football: a touchdown is six points, and a safety is two. However, kickoff procedures, touchback placement, fair-catch options, and specific recovery rules can differ. High school rules also follow their own rule set, so do not assume that every detail from a professional game applies to a school game.
Canadian football has a notable difference. It awards a point, commonly called a rouge or single, in certain situations when a team kicks the ball into the opponent’s end zone and the receiving team does not return it out. A kickoff can therefore produce one point in Canadian football under the relevant conditions. This is not the standard scoring rule in American football.
| Rule set | Kickoff itself | Return touchdown | Distinctive point to remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Normally 0 | 6 | A touchback is not a score; current rules govern placement and return details. |
| College football | Normally 0 | 6 | Some kickoff procedures and touchback rules differ from the NFL. |
| Canadian football | Can result in a single in specific situations | 6 | A kick into the end zone that is not returned out may award one point. |
So if someone asks how many points a kickoff is worth, first identify which version of football they mean. In American football, the answer is normally zero for the kick itself. In Canadian football, a particular end-zone kick can produce a single.
Examples of kickoff plays and their scores
These short examples show why the score depends on what happens after the kick:
- The returner catches the ball and is tackled at the 25-yard line. No points are scored. The receiving team starts its possession from the spot set by the rules and any penalties.
- The returner catches the ball and runs into the opponent’s end zone. The receiving team scores a six-point touchdown. It then has an opportunity to add points on the try.
- The ball reaches the end zone and the receiving team lets it become dead. In a typical American football situation, this is a touchback worth zero points. The team receives the ball at the applicable touchback spot.
- The returner brings the ball out, then retreats and is downed in the receiving team’s own end zone. If the receiving team is responsible for the ball becoming dead there, the kicking team may score a two-point safety.
- The kickoff sails through the uprights without a return. It is not a field goal in American football. The kick does not earn three points merely for passing between the posts.
- The kicking team recovers a live, legally recoverable kick and advances into the opponent’s end zone. A touchdown may be possible if the recovery and advance are legal. The score depends on the live-ball rules and the exact play.
These examples are simplified. A flag, a muff, a fumble, an out-of-bounds kick, or a ruling about possession can change the result. When a play looks unusual, the first questions are whether the ball was live and which team had possession when it became dead.
How to read a kickoff ruling
If a kickoff play is confusing, work through it in a fixed order. This avoids the common mistake of deciding the score based only on where the ball landed.
- Identify the rule set. Confirm whether the game uses NFL, college, high school, or Canadian rules. Terms and outcomes are not always interchangeable.
- Check whether the ball was live. A ball that becomes dead immediately may produce a touchback or another restart rather than a scoring play.
- Find out who had possession. A catch, recovery, muff, or fumble can determine which team is responsible for the next action.
- Locate where the ball became dead. The end zone matters, but the team responsible for the ball being there matters too.
- Apply any penalty. A penalty can change the outcome or starting position. It does not automatically turn a kickoff into points.
Practical tip: Watch the official’s signal and listen for the ruling, not just the crowd’s reaction. A long return or a kick through the uprights can look like a score to a new viewer, but neither is enough by itself to establish points.
Common kickoff scoring mistakes
Calling every end-zone kick a touchdown
A ball entering the end zone is not automatically a touchdown. If the kick is not returned and becomes dead, the result is usually a touchback in American football. A touchdown requires a scoring action under the rules, not merely the ball crossing the goal line in flight.
Assuming the kick through the posts is a field goal
Three points are not awarded just because a kickoff passes between the uprights. A field goal must be attempted during a scrimmage play. The kickoff’s role is to start or restart play, so its path through the posts does not turn it into a field-goal attempt.
Mixing American and Canadian rules
Canadian football’s single can make a kickoff worth one point in particular circumstances. That rule does not apply to a standard NFL or college football game. If the broadcast or conversation is about Canadian football, account for that difference before interpreting the score.
Confusing the return with the try afterward
A kickoff return touchdown is six points. The scoring team’s extra-point kick or two-point attempt comes afterward and is a separate play. Adding the try to the touchdown can make the overall scoring sequence look like the kickoff itself was worth more than six.
Why kickoff rules can change the outcome
Even when a kickoff does not produce points, it can have a major effect on the next possession. A touchback gives the receiving team the ball at a defined spot. A return can move the offense farther upfield, while a penalty can push the starting position back. Those field-position changes affect how much ground the offense needs to cover to score.
Teams also make choices about how to handle the kick. A returner might catch the ball and run, signal for a fair catch where permitted, or allow a kick to become dead in the end zone. The right choice depends on the rules, the ball’s location, the coverage players, and the risk of a fumble. A return is not automatically better than taking a touchback if the chance of a turnover or a loss of field position is high.
For viewers, keep the scoring and field-position questions separate. First ask whether a touchdown or safety occurred. If not, ask where the receiving team will start its possession. That distinction makes kickoff rulings much easier to follow.
In American football, how many points is a kickoff in football has a straightforward answer: the kick itself is normally worth zero. A kickoff return touchdown earns six points, and a safety can award two to the kicking team; a routine touchback scores nothing.
For the next game you watch, check which rule set is being used and notice whether the ball was returned, recovered, or simply downed in the end zone. That one distinction clears up most kickoff scoring confusion.