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)
Cite this Entry
“Touchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchback. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.
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