What Happens After an NFL Safety?

Sep 22

2 min read

Updated: Oct 10

After an NFL safety, the team that conceded the two points must kick from its own 20 yard line. The team that scored receives. That is why a safety can deliver both points and the next opportunity to possess the ball.

Part of Football 101. Explore the guide to choose your next topic.

Army defender sacks Navy quarterback Troy Gross while Gross protects the football during the 2007 Army–Navy game. — Navy quarterback Troy Gross is sacked by an Army defender during the 2007 Army–Navy game. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Herbert D. Banks Jr. via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain as an official U.S. Navy work.

The restart differs from a touchdown or field goal. For the scoring definition and end zone exceptions, begin with what counts as a safety. Here the focus is what happens next.

The scoring team receives

Suppose a quarterback is tackled in his own end zone for a safety. His opponent receives two points. The quarterback's team then sends out a kicking unit for the safety kick, and the opponent prepares to return it.

The team that scored does not kick simply because it was the last team to put points on the board. That familiar shortcut does not work after a safety.

The kicker has three choices

The safety kick may be a punt, a drop kick or a place kick. A manufactured tee is permitted under the current free kick rules. This is different from field goals and extra points, where a tee is prohibited.

The special safety kick location does not mean the coverage unit uses an ordinary punt formation. The free kick rules govern its setup, restrictions and return. The punting option describes how the ball is kicked, not the rules for a punt from scrimmage.

Possession still has to be settled

Being designated the receiving team does not guarantee a clean return or possession afterward. The kick remains subject to recovery, boundary, touchback and foul rules. A safety kick that produces a touchback uses the applicable free kick placement rules.

A safety during a touchdown try is a separate case: it is worth one point and follows try administration. Do not apply the ordinary two point safety restart to that rare situation.