The end line, for

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

or ''dead line'' for

Canadian football Canadian football, or simply football, is a Sports in Canada, sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field long and wide, attempting to advance a Ball (gridiron football), pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposi ...

, is a designated line at the back of the

end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on the opposite side of the field ...

. It is a marked field line, perpendicular to the

sidelines In sports, out of bounds (or out-of-bounds) refers to being outside the playing boundaries of the Pitch (sports field), field. The legality of going out of bounds (intentionally or not), and the ease of prevention, vary by sport. Sports that use ...

, that designates

out of bounds In sports, out of bounds (or out-of-bounds) refers to being outside the playing boundaries of the field. The legality of going out of bounds (intentionally or not), and the ease of prevention, vary by sport. Sports that use this term include Am ...

at each end of the playing field. It is measured 30 feet (10 yards) from the edge of the marked goal line toward the field of play to the inside edge of the marked end line, so that the marked line itself is considered out of bounds. If the marked end line is touched or crossed over by any body part of the ball carrier prior to having solid control of the football, and the play has not been signaled over by the

official An official is someone who holds an office (function or Mandate (politics), mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual Office, working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (eithe ...

prior to this, the down is considered over or out of bounds and results in the end of play. If the current ball carrier

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

s the football within the field of play and it crosses an end-zone sideline or end line prior to any player gaining control of the ball, there are two scenarios this will result in: (1) If the end line/sideline is from the ball carriers' team end zone they are defending at that moment in the game, this will result in a

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

; (2) If the end line/sideline is from the ball carriers' opponent’s end zone, this will result in a

touchback In American football, a touchback is a ruling that is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to travel ...

and the opponent will gain possession of the football at their own 20 yard line. If, during a punt or kickoff situation, the football crosses the end line, without any players touching or gaining control of it, this will result in a touchback. The field goal post at each end of the playing field are centered above the end line.

References

{{Gridiron football concepts Sports terminology