Kickoff (gridiron Football) - Kickoff Into End Zone

Kickoff Into End Zone

Kickoffs entering the end zone are handled differently in American and Canadian rules. In the American game, if the ball goes out of bounds in the receiving team's endzone or is recovered and downed in the receiving team's end zone, the ball is to be placed at the receiving team's 20-yard line and possession is given to the receiving team (this is known as a touchback). High school football immediately rules the ball dead when the ball crosses the goal line; the ball cannot be returned from out of the end zone, nor can it be recovered there for a touchdown. In the Canadian game if the ball goes into the end zone and then out of bounds without being touched, the receiving team scrimmages from the 25-yard line (no points are scored). If the receiving team gains possession of a kickoff in its own end zone and then fails to return it back into the field of play, the kicking teams scores one point, and the receiving team scrimmages from the 35-yard line. Various forms of indoor football also recognize the single, but the ball must not only cross the end zone, but pass through the uprights (as in a field goal) as well. If the kicking team recovers its own kickoff in the end zone in any version of the game (something that, as previously mentioned, is impossible in high school football), it scores a touchdown.