What Is a Safety in American Football?
A team can score without reaching the opponent's end zone.
A safety in American football is awarded to the defense when the offense is responsible for the ball becoming dead in its own end zone. The most familiar example is a ball carrier being tackled in the end zone. It can also happen because of certain offensive penalties. A safety gives the defensive team two points, and the team that allowed it must usually kick the ball back to the opponent.
