touchback

noun

touch·​back ˈtəch-ˌbak How to pronounce touchback (audio)
plural touchbacks
: a situation in football that typically occurs when the ball is downed (see down entry 3 sense 2) behind the goal line (as after a kickoff or punt) and that results in the team that is defending the goal putting the ball back in play on its own 20- or 25-yard line
Touchbacks on kickoffs will be moved to the 25-yard line, from the 20, to give teams an incentive not to run the ball out of the end zone, one of the most dangerous plays in the game.Ken Belson
The punter landed 27% of his kicks inside the 20-yard line while only four ended up in the endzone for a touchback.Branson Nash
compare safety sense 3a(1)

Examples of touchback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gillan took over the kickoffs after Jude McAtamney booted two touchbacks in Week 4. Dan Duggan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025 The score would have given Arizona a 21-point lead late in the game, but instead the ball bounced out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a touchback and a turnover. Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025 That mistake often results in a fumble recovered by the defense or a touchback, giving possession to the opposing team. Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Punter Jeremy Crawshaw didn't have his best day, averaging 50 yards a punt but delivering two touchbacks and only pinning the Bengals inside the 20 once. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for touchback

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of touchback was in 1884

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Touchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchback. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

touchback

noun
touch·​back ˈtəch-ˌbak How to pronounce touchback (audio)
: the act of downing a football behind the goal line after receiving a kick or intercepting a pass
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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