Find all the articles in our American football frequently asked questions on this link. Today, the different penalties in defense.
Do you see the referees throwing a yellow handkerchief but don't understand why? Do you know the general concepts but not necessarily the subtleties of mistakes? This article is, in both cases, for you.
Offsides
– Neutral Zone Offense
The “neutral zone” is six long inches (15 centimeters), between the position of the ball before engagement and the defenders. The defender crosses this line and provokes the movement of an offensive player before the ball is committed. The penalty pushes the defense back 5 yards while the offense keeps its attempt.
– Offside
This penalty is whistled when a defender has already crossed the neutral zone when the ball is engaged. The defender therefore anticipated the throw-in but he started his action too early! The difference with the “neutral zone offense” is that, this time, the ball has been engaged.
With the ball in play, the offense can produce an action and at the end of it, it has the choice: accept the 5-yard penalty if its action has failed (or produced less than 5 yards), or decline the penalty because his action gained more ground.
– Encroachment
This penalty is similar to the “offside”, but the major difference is that this penalty means that the game is stopped by the referees. There is a 5 yard penalty and the offense can only accept without producing a play.
When the offense is five yards or less away from getting another four attempts, one of these three penalties can allow them to do so thanks to the foul.
Nick Bosa (San Francisco) is undoubtedly one of the best players in his defensive end or 7-Technique position. To sign 12 sacks in 2023 (playoffs included), he must know how to start his action as soon as possible. Obviously, he sometimes anticipates a little too much! San Francisco was the third most penalized team with 11 offsides accepted in 2023, including 5 for Nick Bosa.
Holding and pass interference
The penalty for “defensive holding” is whistled when a defender holds the attacker when the latter is not targeted by the quarterback. Pass interference is distinguished from the previous foul when the offensive player is in the path of the ball.
The two penalties have a similarity as well as a difference. The two fouls punish the defense with an automatic first attempt for the attack. But in the case of “defensive holding”, the attack progresses by 5 yards. For “pass interference”, the attack restarts from the place where the fault was committed.
Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed's 17 passes defensed, including 2 interceptions, convinced the Tennessee Titans to give him $76 million, including $44 million guaranteed. If he was a major player in Kansas City's title, he was however one of the most penalized defenders in 2023: 8 pass interferences and 6 defensive holds.
Excessive brutality
– A defender does not have the right to contact a player when he has left the limits of the field. If a defender continues to push him, then the referees can call a foul for unnecessary brutality (“ Unnecessary Roughness »). The penalty automatically gives the offense a 1st attempt as well as an advance of 15 yards on the field.
– A defender does not have the right to contact the quarterback when the latter has already thrown the ball. “ Roughing the pass » results in the attack progressing 15 yards while obtaining a 1st attempt.
– A defender does not have the right to contact his opponent in the head with his hands (face mask). The referees can call a foul giving the offense a first attempt while making it advance 5 yards.
– If the contact is helmet to helmet (targeting), the 1st attempt is also acquired but the progress is 15 yards. And the defender can be definitively expelled from the match following the assessment of the referees.
– A defender does not have the right to tackle a player by pulling the collar of his jersey. The penalty for horse collar gives an automatic 1st attempt as well as 15 yards of progression on offense.
Some statistics in 2023
In 2023, the Bills defense finished the regular season 4th in the NFL in number of sacks, 4th also in number of interceptions and 5th in caused fumbles. She is also the most penalized for excessive brutality.
Interior player on the defensive line, Ed Oliver produced an excellent total of 9.5 sacks in 2023! But, he was also guilty of 3 brutalities on a quarterback, 2 illegal uses of hands and one unnecessary brutality.
