Touchback

In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line (i.e., in an end zone) and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus to travel over or across the goal line. Such impetus may be imparted by a kick, pass, fumble, or in certain instances by batting the ball. A touchback is not a play, but a result of events that may occur during a play. A touchback is the opposite of a safety with regard to impetus since a safety is scored when the defending team is responsible for the ball becoming dead behind or above its own goal.