Spectator's Primer: Penalties

During a football game, you're going to see referees throwing yellow flags. This indicates that there has been a penalty. Some of the common penalties are:

Offsides: This is when a defensive or offensive player crosses the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. The penalty is five yards.

False Start: If an offensive lineman moves after he has assumed his stance but before the ball is snapped, then it is a false start. This often happens when the crowd is so loud the lineman can't hear the quarterback calling the signals. The penalty is five yards.

Holding: Holding is called when an offensive player grabs a defensive player in order to block him. The penalty is 10 yards.

Interference: If a defensive player bumps or touches a receiver while attempting to intercept or deflect a pass more than five yards from the line of scrimmage, interference is called. Play resumes from the point of the infraction.

Clipping: When an offensive player blocks a defensive player from behind, clipping is called. This often happens on kickoffs and punts, usually calling back a big play. The penalty is 15 yards.

Facemask: A defensive player is not allowed to grab an offensive player by his facemask. It he does, a flag is thrown. An intentional facemask gets you a 15-yard penalty while an inadvertent facemask is five yards.

What's a line of scrimmage? Check out our terms glossary.

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