Penalties
First and foremost we assume and expect that players play fairly and with good sportsmanship always as the top priority. We also self-referee - if you make a mistake and commit a penalty, just say so. It creates at a good 'fair-play' atmosphere which will be returned in kind.
Additionally, if someone fouls you - wait half a second before calling it. Was it really a penalty that affected the game? Were you really fouled, or are you just pissed off that that you dropped that pass?
Penalties Against the Offense
| Penalty | Distance | From | Notes |
| Illegal Forward Pass | 4 paces | Spot | Loss of Down |
| Holding | 8 paces | LOS | Replay Down |
| Illegal block (in the back, below waist) | 8 paces | LOS | |
| Illegal downfield block/holding/offensive pass interference* | 8 paces | LOS | Replay Down |
| Pass to ineligible Lineman | 4 paces | LOS | Loss of Down |
| Illegal procedure (illegal hike; formation etc.) | 4 paces | LOS | Dead Ball Foul |
| Offsides | (do-over) | LOS | Dead Ball Foul |
| Delay of Game (too much time in the huddle/re-huddling) | 4 paces | LOS | Dead Ball Foul |
Penalties Against The Defense
| Penalty | Distance | FROm | NoteS |
| Pass Interference*/Holding | 8 paces | Spot | Auto 1st down |
| False tag | 15 paces | LOS | Play is whistled dead. Auto 1st down |
| Illegal Tag (grabbing shirt, etc) | 8 paces | Spot | Auto 1st down |
| Blatant grabbing/tackling | 15 paces | SPOT | AUTO 1st Down |
| Illegal Blitz (blitzing twice in series; blitzing w/out proper number of players - uneven rules; blitzing w/out yelling "Blitz", etc. ) | 8 paces | LOS | Replay The Down, loss of Blitz |
| Offsides | (do-over) | LOS | Replay Down |
| Delay of Game (not spotting ball quickly in hurry-up) | 4 paces | LOS | Dead Ball Foul |
*(see below on pass interference)
Kickoff Penalties
| Penalty | Distance | FROM | Notes |
| Kickoff goes out of bounds twice in a row | Ball placed 15 yards from | Kicking Spot | |
| Illegal Block (in the back, In the legs etc.) | 8 Paces | Spot |
General
Un-sportsmanlike behavior; Unnecessary roughness; tackling, or otherwise being a meathead: 15 paces plus automatic first down (if against defense); 15 paces and loss of down (if against offense). (Possible expulsion from the game and/or league)
Pass Interference In The OFL
Pass interference is easily the most difficult penalty in football to get right. In the OFL, we try to simplify things. Actually, in terms of rules I believe that basketball rules apply better to the OFL than current NFL rules. Therefore:
- Contact downfield is not forbidden, provided the contact does not realistically stop an opposing player from getting to the ball. This would include knocking them down; grabbing them; pushing them away; or whacking at their arms/hands. Contact between players who are aggressively going at the ball is legal.
- An offensive player cannot run into a defender who is standing still, in an effort to go through him, even to catch a pass. In this instance we consider that a "charge". On the other hand a defender cannot purposely set up a block, to prevent the receiver from getting to a pass.
- An offensive player cannot push off an opposing player in such a way that moves that the push sends the player in a different direction.
© 1993-2009 Shaun Wolf Wortis