RULE 3 — SCORING

SECTION 2 — DEFINITIONS

A touchdown is scored when the ball is in possession of a player in the opponent's Goal Area, or when the ball in the possession of a player crosses or touches the plane of the opponent's Goal Line. Should the ball subsequently be fumbled, or the player in possession forced back into the Field of Play, the touchdown shall score.

After a touchdown, the team scored against may kickoff from its own 35-yard line or require the scoring team to kickoff from its (scoring team's) 35-yard line.

A field goal is scored by a drop kick or place kick (except on a kickoff) when the ball, after being kicked and without again touching the ground, goes over the cross bar and between the goal posts (or goal posts produced) of the opponent's goal.

The ball shall be dead immediately when it crosses the cross bar.

After a field goal, the team scored against may scrimmage or kickoff from its own 35-yard line or require the scoring team to kickoff from its 35-yard line.

After a field goal, the team scored against may kickoff or scrimmage the ball as first down at its own 35-yard line or require the scoring team to kickoff from its 35-yard line.

AR: Team A attempts a field goal. After the ball is kicked and before crossing the line of scrimmage, it touches or is touched by a player of either team and then proceeds through the uprights and over the crossbar in flight. RULING — Field Goal.

AR: Team A attempts a field goal. After the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage, it touches or is touched by a Team B player before it proceeds through the uprights and above the crossbar in flight. RULING — Field Goal.

A safety touch is scored when the ball becomes dead in the possession of a team in its own Goal Area, or touches or crosses the Dead Line or a Sideline in Goal as a result of the ball having been carried, kicked, fumbled or otherwise directed from the Field of Play into the Goal Area by the team scored against, or as a direct result of a kick from scrimmage having been blocked in the Field of Play or Goal Area.

After a safety touch, the options to the scoring team are to:

  1. Scrimmage at their own 35-yard line,
  2. kickoff from their own 35-yard line or,
  3. Accept a kickoff from the 25-yard line of the team who conceded the safety touch.

If while in the act of conceding a safety touch, a team deliberately, in the judgment of the official, commits a Holding infraction, the score shall count and the penalty applied at the point where the ball is next put into play.

When a Rough Play or Unnecessary Roughness foul is committed on a play during which a safety touch is scored by the non-offending team, the score shall be allowed and the penalty assessed from the point where the ball is next put in play.

If the ball is kicked into the Goal Area by an opponent, a rouge is scored:

  1. when the ball becomes dead in possession of a team in its own Goal Area or,
  2. when the ball touches or crosses the Dead Line or a Sideline in Goal, and touches the ground, a player or some object beyond these lines.

AR: Team A kicks to Team B. B1 attempting to catch the ball on Team B's 3-yard line, fumbles it and is tackled with the ball in possession in the Team B Goal Area. RULING — Rouge (ball deemed to have been kicked into Goal Area by Team A).

AR: Team A kicks to Team B. B1 catches the ball in the Field of Play while moving towards own Goal Line and, in the judgment of the official, the momentum carries B1 into own Goal Area. RULING — Rouge (possession deemed to have been gained in the Goal Area).

After a rouge, the team scored against shall next put the ball into play by a scrimmage as first down at any point between the hash marks on its 35-yard line.

If the single point was scored as the result of an unsuccessful field goal attempt, the team scored against may elect to scrimmage the ball at any point between the hash marks on its own 35-yard line or at the previous line of scrimmage.

NOTE: For the purposes of this Article, a drop kick or place kick shall, without exception, be deemed to be a field goal attempt.

NOTE: If during a kickoff, the kicked ball proceeds through the Goal Area and across the Dead Line or Sideline in Goal without being touched, there shall be no score and the ball shall be awarded to the receiving team at any point between the hash marks on its own 25-yard line.

A team scoring a touchdown may attempt to add to its score by means of a scrimmage play from any point on or between the hash marks on either the 3 yard-line or the 25 yard-line, as follows:

  • 1 point – By kicking a field goal on a scrimmage play initially scrimmaged on the 25 yard line.
  • 2 points – By scoring a touchdown by means of a ball carrying or passing play initially scrimmaged from either the 3 yard line or the 25 yard line.

Note: The point of scrimmage may be adjusted for yardage penalties applied prior to the convert or as a result of a penalty that occurs during the convert.

Note: When a convert is re-tried due to a penalty, a team that initially elected to attempt a 2 point convert from the 3 yard line cannot change their election to now attempt a 1 point convert on the re-try. They must continue to attempt a 2 point convert. If the convert was initially scrimmaged from the 25 yard line, on the re-try a team may attempt either a field goal to score 1 point or pass or run the ball into goal to score 2 points just as they could have on the original attempt from the 25 yard line.

The ball shall remain in play until a score is made or the play has been terminated.

If Team B legally gains possession during an unsuccessful convert attempt (i.e. interception of forward pass, recovery of loose ball, or recovery of a short or wide field goal attempt), it may score two points by advancing the ball across Team A's Goal Line. If the play terminates with Team B in possession in its own Goal Area or in the Field of Play, there shall be no score.

If the play terminates with Team A legally in possession in Team B's Goal Area, Team A shall be awarded two points if the ball had been carried or passed across the line of scrimmage, but no points if the ball had been kicked across the line of scrimmage.

NOTE: There shall be no convert attempt on the winning touchdown scored in overtime.

NOTE: Penalties that occur on convert attempts shall be applied according to Rule 8, Section 5.

THE OFFICIAL PLAYING RULES FOR THE CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2015

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Content compiled and entered by Glen Johnson and Andre Proulx

The CFL Official Rule Book is published annually by the Canadian Football League. Any inquiries regarding the CFL Official Playing Rules may be directed to Glen Johnson, Vice-President, Officiating @ gjohnson@cfl.ca.