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American Football Explained: Touchdowns, Two-Point Conversions, and Downs

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American Football: Was ist ein Touchdown?

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Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs scores a touchdown in the game against the Baltimore Ravens on January 28, 2024.

There are a lot of terms from the world of American football circulating around the Super Bowl that may not be immediately understandable for newcomers. What are fumbles or “two-point conversions” and how is a football field actually constructed? We explain the most important terms and rules. Here: the touchdown.

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Football has long been popular beyond the borders of the USA. According to estimates from the American professional league NFL, around 19 million people in Germany are enthusiastic about American football. But for newcomers, the many terms and rules can be confusing. In this article we will explain two fundamental elements of the game: the touchdown and down.

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What is a touchdown?

A touchdown occurs when a player carries the ball into or catches the ball in the opposing team’s end zone. This can be done by running or passing. Contrary to what the name suggests, the ball does not have to touch the ground according to today’s rules.

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A touchdown is rewarded with six points (in the normal course of the game) and is one of several ways in which points can be scored in American football.

What is a “Two-Point Conversion”?

After a touchdown, the team that scored the touchdown gets the chance to score one or two additional points. This can happen either via a field goal (one extra point) or the so-called two-point conversion (two extra points).

In a two-point conversion, the attacking team attempts to put the ball back into the opposing team’s end zone in one play, but this time from the 2-yard line. In contrast to a field goal, in which the ball is kicked through the goal posts, a two-point conversion requires the ball to be carried or passed into the end zone in the regular passing or running game.

Teams usually choose the more difficult option of the two-point conversion when they hope to gain a strategic advantage or are forced to do so due to a large deficit.

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What is a down?

A down denotes a game action. The field is divided into ten yards, and a team has four attempts (downs) to advance those ten yards. If a team fails to move the ball more than ten yards, possession switches to the opposing team.

2024-02-13 00:54:07
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