In American football, a "safety" is a scoring play that occurs when the offensive team is tackled in their own end zone. This results in two points for the defensive team. Safeties can happen in various situations, such as when a player is downed with the ball in their own end zone or if they commit a penalty in that area. Additionally, after a safety is scored, the team that scored receives the ball for a free kick from the 20-yard line. This kick can be a punt or a place kick, allowing the scoring team to potentially gain more yardage and control of the game.