How Many Points Is A Safety Worth In Football?
Along with scoring a touchdown or successfully kicking a field goal, another way for teams to score in football is through a safety. While safeties are much less common than touchdowns and field goals, it’s important to know how they can change the outcome of a game.
A safety is worth two points in football. On very rare occasions, a safety may be worth 1 point if it happens during an extra point or two-point conversion. Safeties are the least common and least rewarding method of scoring. A safety can happen in a few different situations, though it is always the result of a player causing a dead ball within his own end zone.
When Does A Safety Happen In Football?
Most commonly, a safety occurs when the ball carrier is tackled or goes out of bounds in their own end zone after carrying the ball into the end zone. If the line of scrimmage is on a team’s own one-yard line, and the quarterback is sacked in the end zone, a safety occurs.
The offense committing a foul inside their own end zone can also result in a safety. Additionally, if the ball is fumbled out of bounds through a team’s own end zone as a result of their own actions, this will be ruled a safety.
Safety Kick
After a safety occurs, the ball is kicked off from the 20-yard line to the same team that scored the safety. This is known as a safety kick. On a safety kick, teams are not allowed to use a tee. The kicking team on a safety kick must either have a holder, punt, or dropkick the ball.
One-Point Safety
There is a very rare circumstance in which a safety can be worth only one point in a football game. This situation is so rare that it has never actually happened in an NFL game and has only occurred a few times in college football. For this to happen, a team would have to make a critical error following an extra point or two point conversion attempt.
A one-point safety for the offense can occur if the defense gains possession of the ball on an extra point or two point conversion attempt and is then tackled in their own endzone. This would result in the offense receiving one point for the safety.
A one-point safety for the defense can happen if the offense has their kick blocked or loses possession of the ball, only to recover it and be tackled 85 yards or more backwards within their own endzone. This is extremely unlikely, but it would cause the defense to receive one point for the safety.
Safety vs. Touchback
Remember not to confuse a touchback with a safety. If the offense’s pass is intercepted or fumble recovered within a defense’s own end zone and they are then tackled, it will be ruled a touchback. Apart from one nearly impossible situation, safeties can only occur when the offense has and maintains possession of the ball. This situation is if a defensive player intercepts the ball or recovers a fumble, runs out of the endzone, then runs back in and is tackled.
FAQ
What is a safety in football?
A safety occurs in football when the team in possession of the ball is tackled in their own end zone after leaving it or takes a penalty in their own end zone. Safeties are worth one or two points in football. Two-point safeties are the more common version, which occur whenever a safety happens on a scrimmage play. If a safety is taken by either team during an extra point attempt or two-point conversion, it will be worth one point.
How many points are given for a safety in football?
In football, most safeties result in a reward of two points. This most common version occurs whenever a safety happens on a scrimmage play and the ball carrier is tackled or takes a penalty in his own team’s end zone. In rare instances, one point is given for safeties that occur during an extra point attempt or two-point conversion.
What is the difference between a touchback and a safety?
The main difference between a touchback and safety is the circumstances of how the ball carrier got into the end zone. Touchbacks are when one team gets possession from the other team in the end zone during specific circumstances such as a turnover, a punt, or a kickoff. Meanwhile, a safety occurs any time that a ball carrier gets downed or tackled in their own endzone after leaving the end zone. A touchback results in offensive possession at their 25-yard line while a safety scores one or two points for the opposing team.