In American Football, a touchdown is the biggest offensive goal a team can score. To score a touchdown, a player must carry the ball across the opponent’s goal line or catch a pass in the end zone. The ball crosses the plane of the goal line and scores six points. Teams can also try to score extra points after a touchdown, which is known as an extra-point conversion. In either case, the team scoring the touchdown will take over possession of the ball.
Football originated in China and spread to Korea and Japan. There are so many interesting facts about this ancient game’s history that a comprehensive study would take a book. In 1314, the game became so disruptive that King Edward II banned it on his behalf and on pain of imprisonment. A game of football is not as ancient as it looks, though. Its development is closely related to the industrialization of Victorian Britain, which gave rise to a growing working class population. The growing population of factories facilitated a renewed interest in the game.
As football became more popular, it was eventually recognized as an Olympic sport. It has been played in the Summer Olympics every year since 1908. However, it did not compete in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932. As the popularity of football grew, FIFA expanded and became the global authority in football. In 1961, Guinea became FIFA’s 100th member. Today, more than 200 nations are registered with FIFA. The game of football is played on fields that can range from fifty to 100 yards long.