Penalty (gridiron football)

NFL back judge Lee Dyer retrieves a penalty flag on the field during a game on November 16, 2008 between the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams.

In gridiron football, a penalty is a sanction assessed against a team for a violation of the rules, called a foul.[1] Officials initially signal penalties by tossing a bright yellow colored penalty flag onto the field toward or at the spot of a foul.[2]

Many penalties result in moving the football toward the offending team's end zone, usually in 5 yard increments. Penalties may go as high as 25 yards depending on the penalty and league. Most penalties against the defensive team also result in the offense receiving an automatic first down, while a few penalties against the offensive team cause them to automatically lose a down.

In some cases, depending on the spot of the foul, the ball is moved half the distance to the goal line rather than the usual number of yards, or the defense scores an automatic safety.[3]

  1. ^ "NFL Rules Digest: Definitions". www.nfl.com. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  2. ^ "NFL Rules of the Game". Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  3. ^ "NFL Rules Digest: Summary of Penalties". www.nfl.com. Retrieved 2017-12-26.