What is a safety in football?
How a safety happens
A safety is one of the less common ways to score in football. The defense earns it when the ball carrier is downed inside the offense's own end zone, which is the team's own scoring area. It also counts if the offense commits a foul in its end zone that is penalized in a way that results in a safety.
Some safeties happen when a ball is snapped or kicked and goes out of bounds in the end zone after the offense last touched it. The scoring team gets the points, and the ball is then put back into play with a free kick.
- Ball carrier tackled in own end zone
- Offense fouls in its own end zone
- Ball goes out of bounds in own end zone
- Worth two points, not three
What happens after a safety
After a safety, the team that gave up the points must kick the ball to the scoring team. In the NFL, this free kick is taken from the team's own 20-yard line. The kicking team is at a disadvantage because the other side gets a chance to return the kick.
Many fans like to remember the safety as a rare event that can change a close game. A single safety can be the difference between winning and losing when the score is tight late in the game.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a safety is worth three points, when it is worth two.
- Mixing up a safety with a touchback, which happens on a kickoff and does not score.
