Fourth down conversion

The act of using a fourth down play to make a first down. These are comparatively uncommon. If a team is close enough, they will generally attempt a field goal on fourth down. Otherwise, they will usually punt. However, the coach may elect to try to get a new first down. This is more likely if the amount of yardage needed for the conversion is small, if the team is trailing by a significant amount (likelihood of such a try increasing as it gets later in the game), or if a team is in a position on the field where a punt would likely result in a touchback but a field goal attempt is unlikely to succeed (usually between the opponent’s 35 and 45 yard lines at the NFL level).