touch football

American  

noun

1. an informal variety of football in which the touching, usually with both hands, of a ball-carrier by a member of the opposing team results in a down.

---

touch football British  

noun

1. an informal version of American football chiefly characterized by players being touched rather than tackled

---

Etymology

Origin of touch football

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

They clean and rake and turn what was the site of dozens of touch football games and barbecues into a golf course.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2025

A wise person once said: can’t choose your parents, but you can choose your touch football team quarterback.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

On a recent morning, National Guards troops — some dressed in full combat fatigues, others in T-shirts and shorts — could be seen exercising, milling about and playing a game of touch football.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2025

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss wrote about how Theodore Roosevelt was frequently pictured boxing, horseback riding and hiking, while John Kennedy swam, sailed and played touch football despite serious injuries sustained during the war.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2023

They are arranged in a semicircle around a scrubby grass expanse where the youths play softball, touch football, soccer.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater