What is a Safety in Football
A safety in football is a scoring play worth two points that occurs when a ball carrier is tackled in their own end zone, or when the offense commits certain penalties in the end zone.
A safety is a scoring play in American football worth two points, scored by the defensive team. It occurs when the player with the ball is tackled, forced out of bounds, or commits a penalty in their own end zone. The safety is the only scoring play that awards points to the defensive team directly.
How a Safety Is Scored
The defense scores a safety when:
- A ball carrier is tackled in their own end zone (the end zone they are defending)
- A ball carrier runs or is pushed out of bounds in their own end zone
- An offensive player fumbles the ball out of the back of their own end zone
- The quarterback is sacked in the end zone (most common safety)
- The offense commits a penalty in their end zone (intentional grounding from the end zone, holding in the end zone)
- A blocked punt goes out of the end zone
- The offense snaps the ball out of the back of the end zone (rare)
After a Safety
After the defense scores a safety:
- The defensive team receives 2 points
- The offense must free kick (kick off) to the defensive team from their own 20-yard line (giving the defense good field position)
The free kick following a safety is one of the few plays in football where the kicking team is the team that just scored — making it a particularly advantageous scoring play.
Why Safeties Are Significant
Safeties are relatively rare but strategically significant:
- They award points and possession advantage
- A safety can shift momentum dramatically
- Teams sometimes intentionally concede a safety (a "strategic safety") to punt from the 20 rather than punt from deep in the end zone (avoiding a blocked punt)
Safety vs. Defensive Touchdown
A safety gives the defensive team 2 points. A defensive touchdown (interception return TD, fumble return TD, blocked punt TD) gives the defensive team 6 points plus a PAT attempt.
Famous Safeties
- Super Bowl XLVIII (2014) — The first play of the game, the snap sailed over Peyton Manning's head into the end zone for a safety — the fastest score in Super Bowl history
- Teams finishing close games often target forcing a safety to get within one possession