American Football Scoring Made Simple
If a team either passes the ball or runs to the opponent’s end zone (at the opposite end of the field), the team scores a touchdown and earns 6 points.
The team can then earn an additional point by kicking the ball through the goal post OR…
the team can earn an additional two points by either passing the ball or running to the end zone again.
Each team gets 4 tries, or downs, to score a touchdown. After 4 tries, the ball is handed over to the other team.
Another way to score is by kicking the ball through the goal post to score a field goal and earn 3 points.
After every score, the ball is handed over to the other team.
However, if the team is pushed so far behind the end zone that there is no room left on the field, the opponent team scores a safety and earns 2 points.
