End zone

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The end zone is a term in both Canadian football and American football. The end zone is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. It is bordered on all sides by a white line indicating its beginning and end points.

1 Scoring
2 The goal post
3 Decoration
4 Size
5 See also

[edit] Scoring

A team scores a touchdown by entering their opponent's end zone while carrying the ball or catching the ball while being within the end zone. If the ball is carried by an offensive player, across the goal line, it is considered a score as soon as the ball crosses the imaginary vertical plane of the goal line, between the two sidelines. In addition, a two-point conversion may be scored after a touchdown by similar means.

[edit] The goal post

The location of a goal post differs from league to league, but it is always within the boundaries of the end zone. In earlier football games (both professional and collegiate), the goal post began at the goal line, and was usually an H-shaped bar. Nowadays, almost all goal posts are T-shaped, and reside at the back line of the end zone.

[edit] Decoration

The University of Texas Longhorn Band performing on the football field of Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, the end zone of which is decorated in colors of The University of Texas at Austin.

Most professional teams have their logo and/or team name painted on the surface of the end zone, with team colors filling the background. Many championship games at college and professional level are commemorated by the names of the opposing teams each being painted in one of the opposite end zones.

[edit] Size

The end zone in Canadian football is 20 yards long by 65 yards wide, where the end zone in American football is 10 yards long by 53⅓ yards wide (Canadian football is played on a longer & wider field).The end zone stretches from pylon to pylon on an American football field.