# Football Q: Most yards to go for a first down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850 "2003-11-23T16:36:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/41 "2003-11-25T02:34:33Z")
I don’t think a touchdown counts for a first down in pro football in any circumstance. But college football does, unless it’s a goal to go situation. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/42 "2003-11-25T02:38:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zut \* > **[Fourth and 69](http://www.sptimes.com/News/090200/Sports/Tarpon_Springs_sloshe.shtml) during another Florida high school football game.** The funniest thing about this one is that, following the punt, the other team had a fourth-and-39 coming back. Good work, **zut**. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/43 "2003-11-25T14:44:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > **I don’t think a touchdown counts for a first down in pro football in any circumstance.** Yes, in NFL football any touchdown from scrimmage counts as a first down. You can see this in the [play-by-play reporting](http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/gamebook/NFL_20031124_NYG@TB). The first downs are tracked off to the right, by rushing ®, passing §, or penalty (X). Scroll down to Tampa Bay’s offensive touchdown and notice the little R7 off to the right. Notice also that the NFL lists “first and goal from the three” as “first and three from the three” (1-3-NYG3)–two different ways to say the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/44 "2003-11-25T16:00:26Z")
Great job! Thank you, **zut**! So as of now the all-time record belongs to the Tarpon Springs Sprongers (led by “big play quaterback Achilleas Houllis”) who won their September 1, 2000 game against arch rival East Lake despite experiencing a 4th and 69. The college record, 3rd and 57, belongs to Steve Spurrier’s 2000 Florida Gators. Predictably, the sportswriter said “even Spurrier doesn’t have a play for that.” And as **Shelbo** noted, the Patriots have set a very high (low?) bar for the NFL with a 4th and 63. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/45 "2003-11-25T16:31:48Z")
Heh. Not so fast Subbing “4th” for “fourth”, I found: [Fourth and 70](http://www.uticaod.com/archive/2002/10/26/sports/8173.html): New York high school playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/46 "2003-11-25T17:19:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jklann \* > \*\*Yes, in NFL football any touchdown from scrimmage counts as a first down. You can see this in the [play-by-play reporting](http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/gamebook/NFL_20031124_NYG@TB). The first downs are tracked off to the right, by rushing ®, passing §, or penalty (X). Scroll down to Tampa Bay’s offensive touchdown and notice the little R7 off to the right. > > Notice also that the NFL lists “first and goal from the three” as “first and three from the three” (1-3-NYG3)–two different ways to say the same thing. \*\* Thanks for the link. I suppose the NFL has changed that scoring convention. It makes more sense actually. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/47 "2003-11-25T18:54:24Z")
The Fowler Falcons nose into the lead with a 4th and 70–a mark set just this October. Things were looking good for them until an 18-yard touchdown run was nullified by a holding penalty. Then four penalties in three plays and what must have been a huge sack by Whitesboro Warriors lineman Mike Babula catapulted them into the record books. ---
**Author:** ![bbonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecb155/32.png) [@bbonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbonden)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850/48 "2003-11-25T19:19:13Z")
I can’t find a cite through google, but I recall a play in approximately 1989 in which the Miami Hurricanes **converted** a third-and-49 against Penn State. Randall Hill was the receiver, I think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-q-most-yards-to-go-for-a-first-down/214850.md?page=2)