Breaking Down the 15 Most Common Football Penalties
Penalties can be the difference between winning and losing a football game. The wrong penalty at the wrong time can be the critical factor in a loss. Football coaches constantly spend practice time teaching their players the correct techniques to help them avoid penalties. In 2024, NFL teams averaged between 5 and 8 penalties per game, according to TeamRankings.com. Teams with the most penalties and penalty yards are typically among the worst in football.
Penalties occur on both offense and defense. If it’s an offensive penalty, the football is moved backwards and if it’s defensive, the ball is moved forward. Penalties are usually 5, 10, or 15 yards. One exception is a spot foul. That means the ball is placed at the spot of the penalty. Learning how to minimize penalties must be a priority if you want to be a good football team. Because football is such a physical, high-contact game, penalties were instituted to help keep the game safe and make it fair. Below is a comprehensive guide to the most common football penalties.
History of the Penalty Flag
Before flags were used, officials blew a horn to indicate a penalty. As football grew in popularity, it became harder for fans to hear a horn. In 1941, flags were first used in a game between Oklahoma City University and Youngstown State. The NFL started using flags in 1948. American football started in the 19th century as a hybrid between soccer and rugby. Many of the penalty names—holding, unsportsmanlike conduct, offsides—were picked up from those sports. As American football evolved, different penalties were added and the definitions of the existing penalties changed. Now, officials throw a yellow flag when a foul occurs.
The Top 15 Penalties
The top 3 penalties in football are a false start, offsides, and offensive holding, according to RefrSports.com. The record for the most penalties in an NFL game was 37 when the Bears played the Browns in 1952. The teams combined for 374 yards of penalties. Penalties slow down the pace of a game, and they can be exasperating for fans, coaches, and players. Coaches and players want a “clean” game, which is when the penalties are minimized. Below is a list of the top 15 penalties.
5-Yard Penalties
Defensive Holding: Defensive holding is when a defender grabs, impedes, or pushes a wide receiver who’s usually trying to make a catch. It also occurs when a receiver is bumped illegally beyond 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. Defenders can bump them in the 5-yard zone. Defensive holding results in an automatic first down.
False Start: This is when an offensive player moves before the ball is snapped.
Illegal Formation: An illegal formation is when a player is lined up incorrectly or there aren’t at least 5 players on the line of scrimmage.
Offsides: Offsides is when a defensive player moves before the ball is snapped.
Encroachment: Encroachment is when a defensive player lines up in the neutral zone. The neutral zone is an imaginary line in the middle of the offensive and defensive lines that players can’t cross. The sideline official always indicates where the neutral zone is before each play. It’s the players’ responsibility to make sure they aren’t lined up in the neutral zone.
Delay of Game: Delay of game is when the offense takes too long to start a play. Teams have 25 seconds from when the ball is spotted to get a play off. There’s a clock that’s visible to the offense that tracks the time.
Running into the Kicker: Running into the kicker is when a defensive player bumps into or hits a kicker or a punter who’s in the motion of kicking a football.
10-Yard Penalties
Offensive Holding: Offensive holding is when a player, usually a lineman, grabs a defensive player illegally. Offensive linemen can’t extend their hands when blocking, nor can they lock their arms around a defensive player.
Pass Interference: Defensive pass interference is when a defender grabs, holds, or bumps a receiver who’s attempting to catch a football. It results in an automatic first down. In the NFL, the football is placed at the spot of the foul. Offensive pass interference (OPI) is when a receiver impedes the defensive player from going for the ball to try to make an interception. It’s typically pushing off or grabbing the defender to obstruct their path to the football.
15-Yard Penalties
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Unsportsmanlike conduct is when a player acts in an unsporting manner. Examples of unsportsmanlike conduct include taunting a player, verbally abusing an official, excessive celebrations, fighting, leaving the sidelines during a fight, and removing a helmet during play. In college football, 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the same player result in an ejection.
Unnecessary Roughness: Unnecessary roughness is when a player uses excessive or unnecessary force to tackle an opponent. Tackling a player out of bounds, tackling a player after the whistle has sounded and the play is dead, and using your helmet to initiate a tackle are examples of unnecessary roughness. An unnecessary roughness penalty is an automatic first down.
Targeting: Targeting is when a player uses the crown of their helmet against a “defenseless” player. Targeting usually occurs when a defensive player tackles or tries to tackle an offensive player with the football. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the crown is the “6-inch radius at the top of a helmet.” Targeting is one of the most egregious penalties in football. In college football, a targeting penalty results in an automatic ejection. In the NFL, the officials can disqualify a player for targeting based on the severity of it.
Roughing the Passer: Because quarterbacks are in a vulnerable position when they release a football for a pass, a special category of penalty was designated for their protection. Roughing the passer is when the quarterback is hit above the shoulders in a throwing motion, if they’re hit after the ball is released, or if the quarterback is thrown violently to the ground. It’s an automatic first down.
Clipping: Clipping is when an offensive player blocks their opponent from behind or on their side.
Roughing the Kicker: Roughing the kicker is when a player runs into a kicker in a way that could injure them. It’s a more severe penalty than running into the kicker.
Understanding what constitutes a penalty and how it can affect your team’s performance is important for success. Football is a physical, fast-moving game. Learning the proper techniques will help you avoid penalties and make you a better player.