Section 7: Violations/Penalties
Pre-Snap Penalties (5 yards)
- False Start: An offensive player moves after setting position and before the snap
- Offside: A defensive player is in or beyond the neutral zone when the ball is snapped
- Encroachment: A defensive player enters the neutral zone and makes contact with an opponent before the snap
- Delay of Game: Failure to snap the ball before the 40-second play clock expires
- Illegal Formation: Fewer than 7 players on the line of scrimmage at the snap
- Illegal Motion/Shift: More than one player in motion at the snap, or a player in motion toward the line of scrimmage
- Too Many Players: More than 11 players on the field at the snap
Offensive Penalties
- Holding (10 yards): An offensive player illegally restrains a defender by grabbing or restricting their movement
- Offensive Pass Interference (10 yards): An offensive player physically hinders a defender's opportunity to catch the ball
- Intentional Grounding (loss of down + 10 yards or safety): A quarterback throws the ball away to avoid a sack without a realistic receiver in the area
- Illegal Block in the Back (10 yards): Blocking an opponent from behind above the waist
Defensive Penalties
- Defensive Pass Interference (spot foul + automatic first down): A defender physically hinders a receiver's opportunity to catch a forward pass. Penalty is enforced at the spot of the foul.
- Roughing the Passer (15 yards + automatic first down): Hitting the quarterback after the ball has been released, or hitting with excessive force to the head/neck area
- Unnecessary Roughness (15 yards): Any unnecessary contact or action that could injure an opponent
- Defensive Holding (5 yards + automatic first down): A defender holds a receiver beyond 5 yards from the line of scrimmage
Hip-Drop Tackle Ban (15 yards + automatic first down)
Enacted in 2024 and continued with clarified language in 2025. A defender may not grab a ball carrier with one or both hands/arms, unweight themselves by swiveling and dropping their hips and/or lower body, and land on or trap the runner's leg(s) at or below the knee. The NFL determined hip-drop tackles carry a 25 times higher injury rate than standard tackles. Violations result in a 15-yard penalty, automatic first down, and potential fines.
Expanded Replay Review (2025)
Replay assist may now review the following safety-related penalties when a flag has been thrown:
- Facemask fouls
- Horse collar tackles
- Hitting a defenseless player
- Roughing the passer (head/neck contact)
- Roughing the kicker
- Tripping
- Intentional grounding
Replay can only overturn called penalties — it cannot flag fouls that were missed on the field.