touchback

noun

touch·​back ˈtəch-ˌbak 

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

Michigan fans, of course, believe it should have been ruled as a touchback. —Andrew McCarty, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025

The Rams held the ball for almost six minutes to begin the game, but an interception by freshman Keilan Smith resulted in a touchback. —Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 27 Nov. 2025

But a ball aimed there will often end up in the end zone, causing a touchback, which the Rams were trying to avoid. —Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025

Any kick that is caught or lands in the landing zone must be returned, while any kick that falls short of the landing zone will be ruled a touchback and spotted at the returning team’s 40-yard line. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for touchback

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

touchback

noun

touch·​back ˈtəch-ˌbak 

: the act of downing a football behind the goal line after receiving a kick or intercepting a pass