Football Penalties

These penalties of football have been prepared to aid players and fans in their understanding of the game. It is not meant to be a substitute for the official rules. In any case of conflict between these explanations and the official rules, the official rules always have precedence. Football.com is not responsible for inaccuracies, omissions, or errors.

Five Yard Penalties:

• Defensive holding or illegal use of hands
• Delay of game
• Encroachment
• Excessive time outs
• False Start
• Forward pass thrown from behind the line of scrimmage after the ball has already crossed the line
• Forard pass thrown from beyond the line of scrimmage
• Illegal formation
• Illegal shift
• Illegal motion
• Illegal substitution
• Invalid fair catch signalIllegal return
• Too many men on the field
• Offside
• Pass touched by a receiver after being out of bounds
• Player out of bounds at snap
• Running into the kicker
• Second forward pass behind the line
• Unintentional facemask

• Deliberately batting, kicking, or punching a loose ball
• Helping the runner
• Holding, illegal use of hands, illegal block above the waist
• Intentional grounding
• Offensive pass interference
• Tripping

• Chop block
• Clipping
• Fair catch interference
• Facemask
• Faking a roughing
• Illegal low block
• Kicking or kneeling on an opponent
• Roughing the kicker
• Roughing the passer
• Spearing
• Striking an opponent with a fist
• Striking an official
• Unnecessary roughness
• Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Using a helmet as a weapon