Touchback In American football , a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line ( i . e . , in an end zone ) and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there . Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus to travel over or across the goal line . Such impetus may be imparted by a kick , pass , fumble , or in certain instances by batting the ball . A touchback is not a play , but a result of events that may occur during a play . A touchback is the opposite of a safety with regard to impetus since a safety is scored when the " defending " team is responsible for the ball becoming dead behind or above its own goal . Examples of instances where a touchback would be awarded include when : American football . In standard outdoor American football , the team awarded the touchback receives possession of the ball at its own 20 - yard line , except in college football , where the team awarded the touchback receives possession at its own 25 - yard line on kickoffs and free kicks after a safety as of the 2012 season . In arena football , and other indoor football games , a touchback results in the team awarded the touchback receiving the football at its own five - yard line . This can result from any of the above events except for punting , which is not a part of arena football . ( In arena football , a kicked ball usually bounces back into play off of the rebound nets , but the above can still occur when the ball lands in the slack nets behind the goalposts after a kickoff , passes under the rebound nets and out of play , or in the event of fumbles and interceptions . ) College football . In college football , if a defensive player gains possession of the ball during a play between his own five - yard line and goal line and the player ' s original momentum carries him into the end zone , there is no touchback . Instead , the ball is dead at the point where possession changed . In the National Football League , this rule applies only to pass interceptions ( regardless of whether they occur inside the five - yard line ) . Canadian football . In Canadian football the term " touchback " is not used . The failure to advance a kicked ball out of the goal area results in a single point being scored by the kickers , as well as possession by the receivers at their 35 - yard line or at the point the ball was kicked from . A turn - over by fumble or interception in the defense ' s goal area results in a scrimmage on the 25 - yard line with no points awarded . Six - and Eight - Man football . For high schools which play six - man football and eight - man football on an 80 - yard long field , a touchback is brought out to the 15 - yard line . Differences . A special rule applies in college football and the NFL with regard to field goal attempts . If a missed field goal occurs in these leagues , where the other team receives possession of the ball depends on the spot from which the ball has been kicked . In NCAA football , the ball will be placed either on the twenty or the line of scrimmage of the play in which the attempt was made ; in the NFL , either the twenty or the place from which the ball was kicked . ( In either case , the ball goes to the spot which is further from the goal line . ) The purpose of this rule is to discourage low - percentage , long - range field goal attempts and to deemphasize the advantage which can accrue when only one team has a kicker who has a reasonable possibility of success from a great distance . In American high school football ( except in Massachusetts and Texas , which use college football rules ) , the missed field goal , regardless of where attempted on the field , results in a touchback as long as the attempt breaks the plane of the goal line , and in arena football , the field goal is treated as if it were a punt .