touchbackn.
/ˈtʌtʃbak/, U.S. /ˈtətʃˌbæk/ American Football.
The action or fact of a team being awarded possession of the ball at a specific point on the field (now usually its own 20-yard line) resulting from the ball being downed by that team, or becoming dead, on or behind its goal line, following a kick or fumble by the opposing team. Cf. safety n. 6b.A player from the team awarded the touchback was originally required to claim the ball and touch it to the ground on or behind the goal line (see quot. 1891).
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > characteristics of team ball games > [noun] > actions or manoeuvres
ball1483
through-pass1673
intercept1821
fielding1823
outfielding1851
wrist stroke1851
goalkeeping1856
shot1868
scrimmage1872
passing1882
save1883
touchback1884
angle shot1885
shooting1885
pass1887
line1891
tackling1893
feeding1897
centre1898
chip shot1899
glovework1906
back-lift1912
push pass1919
aerial1921
screen1921
ball-hawking1925
fast break1929
tackle1930
chip1939
screenshot1940
snapshot1961
hang time1969
one-two1969
blooter1976
passback1976
sidefoot1979
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > football > American football > [noun] > actions or manoeuvres
rush1857
punt-out1861
goal-kicking1871
safety1879
safety touchdown1879
scrimmage1880
rushing1882
safety touch1884
touchback1884
forward pass1890
run1890
blocking1891
signal1891
fake1893
onside kick1895
tandem-play1895
pass play1896
spiral1896
shift1901
end run1902
straight-arm1903
quarterback sneak1904
runback1905
roughing1906
Minnesota shift1910
quarterbacking1910
snap-back1910
pickoff1912
punt return1914
screen forward pass1915
screen pass1920
power play1921
sneak1921
passback1922
snap1922
defence1923
reverse1924
carry1927
lateral1927
stiff-arm1927
zone1927
zone defence1927
submarine charge1928
squib1929
block1931
pass rushing1933
safetying1933
trap play1933
end-around1934
straight-arming1934
trap1935
mousetrap1936
buttonhook1938
blitzing1940
hand-off1940
pitchout1946
slant1947
strike1947
draw play1948
shovel pass1948
bootleg1949
option1950
red dog1950
red-dogging1951
rollout1951
submarine1952
sleeper pass1954
draw1956
bomb1960
swing pass1960
pass rush1962
blitz1963
spearing1964
onsides kick1965
takeaway1967
quarterback sack1968
smash-mouth1968
veer1968
turn-over1969
bump-and-run1970
scramble1971
sack1972
nose tackle1975
nickel1979
pressure1981
1884 Boston Sunday Globe 16 Nov. 3/3 A touch-back was made by Princeton.
1891 W. Camp Amer. Football 172 A touch-back is made when a player touches the ball to the ground behind his own goal, the impetus which sent the ball across the line having been received from an opponent.
1941 Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Va.) 14 Jan. 11 This used to be an automatic touchback and the ball was placed in play on the 20-yard line.
2011 Mineral Wells (Texas) Index (Nexis) 4 Sept. (Sports section) Bossow lost a fumble that was recovered by Nicklas in the end zone as the Rams were awarded a touchback.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1884