SECTION 1. VALUE OF SCORES

Article 1 - Scoring Plays

The point value of scoring plays shall be:
Touchdown — 6 Points
Field Goal — 3 Points
Safety (points awarded to opponent) — 2 Points
Successful Try:
Touchdown — 2 Points
Field Goal or Safety — 1 Point

Article 2 - Forfeited Games

SECTION 2. TOUCHDOWN

Article 1 - How Scored

A touchdown shall be scored when:
a. A ball carrier advancing from the field of play has possession of a live ball when it penetrates the plane of the opponent’s goal line. This plane extends beyond the pylons only for a player who touches the ground in the end zone or a pylon. (A.R. 2-23-1-I and A.R. 8-2-1-I-IX).
b. A player catches a forward pass in the opponent’s end zone (A.R. 5-1-3-I and II).
c. A fumble or backward pass is recovered, caught, intercepted or awarded in the opponent’s end zone (Exceptions: Rules 7-2-2-a Exception 2, 7-2-5-b, and 8-3-2-d-5 ). (A.R. 8-2-1-X)
d. A free kick or scrimmage kick is legally caught or recovered in the opponent’s end zone. (A.R. 6-3-9-III).
e. The referee awards a touchdown under the provisions of Rule 9-2-3 Penalty.

SECTION 3. TRY DOWN

Article 1 - How Scored

Article 2 - Opportunity to Score

A try is an opportunity for either team to score one or two points while the game clock is stopped after a touchdown or in the third or subsequent extra period(s). It is a special interval in the game which, for purposes of penalty enforcement only, includes both a down and the “ready’’ period that precedes it.
a. The ball shall be put in play by the team that scored a six-point touchdown. If a touchdown is scored during a down in which time in the fourth period expires, the try shall not be attempted unless the point(s) would affect the outcome of the game. (Exception: If the scoring team is ahead by one or two points, they have the option to forego the try.)
b. The try, which is a scrimmage down, begins when the ball is ready for play.
c. The snap will be midway between the hash marks on the opponent’s three-yard line or from any other point on or between the hash marks on or behind the opponent’s three-yard line if the position of the ball is selected by the team designated to put the ball in play before the play clock is at 25 seconds or before any subsequent ready-for-play signal. The ball may be relocated after a Team B foul or a charged timeout to either team, unless the timeout is preceded by a Team A foul or offsetting fouls (Rule 8-3-3-a and Rule 8-3-3-c-1 ).
d. The try ends when:
1. Either team scores.
2. The ball is dead by rule (A.R. 8-3-2-IV and VI).

3. An accepted penalty results in a score.
4. A Team A loss-of-down penalty is accepted (Rule 8-3-3-c ).
5. A Team A player fumbles and the ball is caught or recovered by any Team A player other than the fumbler. There is no Team A score (A.R. 8-3-2-VIII).

Article 3 - Fouls During a Try Before a Change of Team Possession

a. Offsetting fouls: If both teams foul during the down and Team B fouls before the change of possession, the fouls offset and the down is repeated, even if additional fouls occur after the change of possession. Any repeat of the down after offsetting fouls must be from the previous spot (A.R. 8-3-3-II).
b. Fouls by Team B on a try:
1. When the try is successful Team A shall have the option of declining the score and repeating the try after enforcement, or declining the penalty(ies) and accepting the score. Team A may accept the score with penalties for personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct fouls enforced on the succeeding kickoff or from the succeeding spot in extra periods (A.R. 3-2-3-VI; A.R. 8-3-2-II; A.R. 8-3-3-I; and A.R. 10-2-5-IX-XI).
2. A repeat of the down after a penalty against Team B may be from any point on or between the hash marks on or behind the yard line where the penalty leaves the ball. (A.R. 8-3-3-III)
c. Fouls by Team A on a try:
1. After a foul by Team A on a successful try, the ball shall be put in play at the spot where the penalty leaves it (A.R. 8-3-3-I).
2. If Team A commits a foul for which the penalty includes loss of down, the try is over, and the score is canceled, and no yardage penalty is assessed on the succeeding kickoff.
3. If before a change of team possession Team A commits a foul that is not offset, and during the down there is neither another change of team possession nor a score, the penalty is declined by rule.
d. Dead-ball enforcement:
1. Penalties for fouls occurring after the ball is ready for play and before the snap are enforced before the next snap.
2. Penalties for live-ball fouls treated as dead-ball fouls occurring during the try down are enforced on the succeeding kickoff or from the succeeding spot in extra periods. If the try is replayed, these penalties are enforced on the replay (Rule 10-1-6 ) (A.R. 3-2-3-VII).
e. Roughing or running into kicker or holder: Roughing or running into the kicker or holder is a live-ball foul.
f. Kick-catch interference: The penalty for interference with a kick catch is declined by rule. Any score by Team A is canceled.

Article 4 - Fouls During a Try After a Change of Team Possession

a. Penalties against either team are declined by rule. (Exception: Penalties for flagrant personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, dead-ball personal fouls and live-ball fouls treated as dead-ball fouls are enforced on the succeeding kickoff or at the succeeding spot in extra periods. See Rule 8-3-5 .) (A.R. 8-3-4-I and II)
b. A score by a team committing a foul during the down is canceled. (Exception: Live-ball foul treated as a dead-ball foul.) (A.R. 8-3-2-VII)
c. If both teams foul during the down and Team B had not fouled before the change of possession, the fouls cancel, the down is not repeated, and the try is over. (Exception: Penalties for flagrant personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, dead-ball personal fouls and live-ball fouls treated as dead-ball fouls are enforced on the succeeding kickoff or at the succeeding spot in extra periods. See Rule 8-3-5 .)

Article 5 - Fouls After a Try

Article 6 - Next Play

SECTION 4. FIELD GOAL

Article 1 - How Scored

a. A field goal shall be scored if a scrimmage kick, which may be a drop kick or place kick, passes over the crossbar between the uprights of the receiving team’s goal before it touches a player of the kicking team or the ground.
b. If a legal field goal attempt passes over the crossbar between the uprights and is dead beyond the end line or is blown back but does not return over the crossbar and is dead anywhere, it shall score a field goal. The crossbar and uprights are treated as a line, not a plane, in determining forward progress of the ball.

Article 2 - Next Play

a. Successful field goal. After a field goal is scored, the ball shall be put in play by a kickoff or at the succeeding spot in extra periods. The team scoring the field goal shall kick off.
b. Unsuccessful field-goal attempt.
1. If the ball untouched by Team B after crossing the neutral zone is declared dead, it belongs to Team B. Except in an extra period Team B will snap the ball at the previous spot unless the previous spot was between its 20-yard line and its goal line. In that case Team B will next snap the ball at its 20-yard line.
(a) The 20-yard-line snap shall be from midway between the hash marks unless Team B selects a different location on or between the hash marks before the ready-for-play signal.
(b) After the ready-for-play signal, the ball may be relocated after a charged team timeout, unless preceded by a Team A foul or offsetting fouls.
2. If the ball does not cross the neutral zone, or if Team B touches the ball after it crosses the neutral zone, all rules pertaining to scrimmage kicks apply (A.R. 6-3-4-II, A.R. 8-4-2-I-VI and A.R. 10-2-3-V).
3. If the ball crosses the neutral zone, is untouched by Team B after crossing the neutral zone, and is declared dead behind the neutral zone, all rules pertaining to scrimmage kicks apply (A.R. 8-4-2-VII).

SECTION 5. SAFETY

Article 1 - How Scored

It is a safety when:
a. The ball becomes dead out of bounds behind a goal line, except from an incomplete forward pass, or becomes dead in the possession of a player on, above or behind their own goal line, or becomes dead by rule, and the defending team is responsible for the ball being there (A.R. 6-3-1-IV; A.R. 7-2-4-I; A.R. 8-5-1-I-II, IV and VI-X; A.R. 8-7-2-II; and A.R. 9-4-1-VIII). When in question, it is a touchback, not a safety.
Exception:
It is not a safety if a player between their own team’s five-yard line and goal line:
(a) intercepts a pass or fumble; or recovers an opponent’s fumble or backward pass; or catches or recovers a kick; and
(b) the player’s original momentum carries that player into their own end zone; and
(c) the ball remains behind that team’s goal line and is declared dead in that team’s possession there. This includes a fumble that goes from the end zone into the field of play and out of bounds (Rule 7-2-4-b-1 ). If conditions (a)-(c) are satisfied above, the ball belongs to this player’s team at the spot where that player gained possession.
b. An accepted penalty for a foul leaves the ball on or behind the offending team’s goal line (Exception: Rule 7-2-4-b-1 and Rule 8-3-4-a ) (A.R. 8-5-1-III and A.R. 10-2-2-VI).

Article 2 - Kick After Safety

SECTION 6. TOUCHBACK

Article 1 - When Declared

It is a touchback when:
a. The ball becomes dead out of bounds behind a goal line, except from an incomplete forward pass, or becomes dead in the possession of a player on, above or behind their own goal line and the attacking team is responsible for the ball being there (Rule 7-2-4-c ) (A.R. 7-2-4-I, A.R. 8-6-1-I-III).
b. A kick becomes dead by rule behind the defending team’s goal line and the attacking team is responsible for the ball being there (Exception: Rule 8-4-2-b ) (A.R. 6-3-4-III).

Article 2 - Snap After a Touchback

SECTION 7. RESPONSIBILITY AND IMPETUS

Article 1 - Responsibility

Article 2 - Initial Impetus

a. The impetus imparted by a player who kicks, passes, snaps or fumbles the ball shall be considered responsible for the ball’s progress in any direction even though its course is deflected or reversed after striking the ground or after touching an official or a player of either team (A.R. 6-3-4-III; A.R. 8-5-1-II, VI and VIII; and A.R. 8-7-2-I-IV).
b. Initial impetus is considered expended and the responsibility for the ball’s progress is charged to a player:
1. If that player kicks a ball not in player possession or bats a loose ball after it strikes the ground
2. If the ball comes to rest and that player gives it new impetus by any contact with it, other than through forced touching (Rule 2-11-4-c ).
c. A loose ball retains its original status when there is new impetus.