What defines a 'safety' in football scoring?

A safety in football scoring is defined specifically as a play that occurs when a defensive player tackles an offensive player with the ball in the offensive team's end zone. This results in two points being awarded to the defensive team. The key aspect of a safety is the location of the tackle; it must happen within the end zone belonging to the offensive team.

Other choices do not fit this criterion. A touchdown, for example, refers to a scoring play exclusively achieved by the offensive team as they advance the ball into the opponent's end zone, while an interception is a play that signifies a defensive player catching a pass intended for an offensive player. Similarly, a penalty affects gameplay and scoring but does not result in immediate points like a safety does. Hence, the definition of a safety as a tackle in the opposing team's end zone is entirely accurate.