Defensive Holding - add 5 yards to end of the play

[Legacy User]

Rules Question -

On a A. Luck scramble that ended up short of the 1st down marker, they called defensive holding on the steelers.

I had thought defensive holding was 5 yards and an automatic first down. They gave the colts the run, plus 5 yards and the first down.

I couldn't find clarification in the rules - I assume because it was a run, they get progress and the 5 yards... if it was a completed pass that was short of the sticks - would they get the same, or would the offense have to opt for 5 yards from the LOS and the first down instead of forward progress and the 5 yards?

[Legacy User]

Rules Question -

On a A. Luck scramble that ended up short of the 1st down marker, they called defensive holding on the steelers.

I had thought defensive holding was 5 yards and an automatic first down. They gave the colts the run, plus 5 yards and the first down.

I couldn't find clarification in the rules - I assume because it was a run, they get progress and the 5 yards... if it was a completed pass that was short of the sticks - would they get the same, or would the offense have to opt for 5 yards from the LOS and the first down instead of forward progress and the 5 yards?

Thanks for asking this. I was wondering the same thing.

[Legacy User]

I'm just getting tired of seeing a flag on every third play of every game for illegal contact, hands to the face or defensive holding in general.

[Steelafan77]

Unfortunately, I don't see it changing any time soon. Its the only way this defense can have any hope of level playing field. I don't know how many other teams have this hands to the face/D holding penalties but with this group of young CB's and their talent level we'll be seeing a lot more of these calls. The NFL has put a lot more emphasis on enforcing these types of rules too.

[Legacy User]

Unfortunately, I don't see it changing any time soon. Its the only way this defense can have any hope of level playing field. I don't know how many other teams have this hands to the face/D holding penalties but with this group of young CB's and their talent level we'll be seeing a lot more of these calls. The NFL has put a lot more emphasis on enforcing these types of rules too.

Early in Sunday's game, they showed a graphic listing how many times specific penalties were called through the start of Week 8 last year compared to this year. Hands to the face was called something like 23 times last year, compared to 67 this year.

[Stillerz Bar]

Rules Question -

On a A. Luck scramble that ended up short of the 1st down marker, they called defensive holding on the steelers.

I had thought defensive holding was 5 yards and an automatic first down. They gave the colts the run, plus 5 yards and the first down.

I couldn't find clarification in the rules - I assume because it was a run, they get progress and the 5 yards... if it was a completed pass that was short of the sticks - would they get the same, or would the offense have to opt for 5 yards from the LOS and the first down instead of forward progress and the 5 yards?

Thanks for asking this. I was wondering the same thing.

Me too - I thought you had to choose, penalty or play. That's why penalties are sometimes declined. I swore I saw something similar in the SNF game and the team took fewer yards to get the 1st down. I'd appreciate it if anyone can explain what happened on this one.

[Stosh-67]

i thought it was just to keep on piling on at that point..........
and no one questioned it........it was just like..ok...5 more yards at this point.

probably cause it was a running play...............but can't recall seeing this in a game before
we see it sometinmes on returns......."5 yards added to the end of the run"

i said at one point that the refs should just start throwing the flag into the secondary on the snap............... every other play....and then just pick one of the numbers of a defenders back

[Legacy User]

i thought it was just to keep on piling on at that point..........
and no one questioned it........it was just like..ok...5 more yards at this point.

probably cause it was a running play...............but can't recall seeing this in a game before
we see it sometinmes on returns......."5 yards added to the end of the run"

i said at one point that the refs should just start throwing the flag into the secondary on the snap............... every other play....and then just pick one of the numbers of a defenders back

I don't see any way it should have been an additional five yards on top of the play result. Yesterday's game was one of the few I can recall this season where the number of exciting, unpenalized plays actually outnumbered the flags (just barely).

[Stosh-67]

i cant believe we only had 10 penalties............not sure how many were waved off du to first downs....
but it seemed like we must have had 15 penalties.
wondering if offset penalties are counted in those 10 flags?

[stillcajun]

Listening to radio this morning as heard that that ref crew calls the most penalties in the NFL by far.

[bradshaw2ben]

RULES CLARIFICATION:

On a passing play or other so called loose ball play (punt, fumble), the choice for fouls other than PFs/post play fouls is penalty or yardage. On run plays, the defensive penalty is always added to the end of the play.

There was an officiating mistake that Swiss caught yesterday... after a delay of game penalty in the 4th Q was enforced against the Steelers, the game clock was restarted and continued to run from the time the ball was ready for play and through the next snap. I believe the clock should have been stopped until the next snap.

[stillthere]

i cant believe we only had 10 penalties............not sure how many were waved off du to first downs....
but it seemed like we must have had 15 penalties.
wondering if offset penalties are counted in those 10 flags?

They are not. Only accepted penalties count.

[Legacy User]

Thanks B2B, I had to assume that because it was a run play, the yards were tacked on.

[Steelafan77]

Listening to radio this morning as heard that that ref crew calls the most penalties in the NFL by far.

Figures

[Stillerz Bar]

RULES CLARIFICATION:

On a passing play or other so called loose ball play (punt, fumble), the choice for fouls other than PFs/post play fouls is penalty or yardage. On run plays, the defensive penalty is always added to the end of the play.

Thanks B2B - seems like a stupid rule to me (not unlike a lot of other current rules) but at least now I know the answer.