touchback

touch·back

T0286900 (tŭch′băk′)n. Football A play in which the defensive team recovers and downs the ball behind its own goal line after the ball has been kicked or passed there by the team on offense. No points are scored, and the ball is put back in play by the recovering team on its own 20-yard line.

touchback

(ˈtʌtʃˌbæk) n (American Football) American football a play in which the ball is put down by a player behind his own goal line when the ball has been put across the goal line by an opponent. Compare safety^4b

touch•back

(ˈtʌtʃˌbæk)

n. a deliberate downing of the ball by a football team in its own end zone or possession assumed by that team when the ball lands beyond the end zone. [1890–95, Amer.]

touchback

Play in which a ball is put down by a player behind his own goal line after an opposing player has put it across the goal line. The ball is then put in play on the receiving team’s 20- yard line.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

touchback - (American football) a play in which the opposing team has kicked the football into your end zoneAmerican football, American football game - a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) playsfootball play - (American football) a play by the offensive team