touchback

American  

[tuhch-bak] / ˈtʌtʃˌbæk /

noun

Football.

1. a play in which the ball is downed after having been kicked into the end zone by the opposing team or having been recovered or intercepted there, or in which it has been kicked beyond the end zone.

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touchback British  

/ ˈtʌtʃˌbæk /

noun

1. American football a play in which the ball is put down by a player behind his own goal line when the ball has been put across the goal line by an opponent Compare safety

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Etymology

Origin of touchback

First recorded in 1885–90; touch + back ²

Example Sentences

Near the end of the second quarter, Curl forced former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp to fumble the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, preserving the lead.

From Los Angeles Times

He has made 11 of 13 field goals and kicked 93% of his kickoffs for touchbacks.

From Los Angeles Times

That first season, the percentage of touchbacks on kickoffs plummeted because kickers couldn’t boot the ball as far.

From The Wall Street Journal

Just like that, his big play went down as a touchback, not a touchdown.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Mitchell lost the ball at the one-yard line and it bounced through the end zone for a touchback that gave the Rams the ball.

From Los Angeles Times