2025 Rulebook Part 2

Published: Jun 05, 2026 at 04:53 PM

Loss of Five Yards
Delay of game	4-6
Encroachment	7-4-3
False start	7-4-2
Holding (defense)	12-1-6
Illegal contact	8-4-3
Illegal formation (free kick)	6-1-3, 6-1-6
Illegal formation (scrimmage down)	7-5-1
Illegal formation (scrimmage kick)	9-1-3
Illegal forward handing	8-7-4
Illegal kick	6-1-1, 6-1-6
Illegal motion	7-4-8
Illegal shift	7-4-7
Illegal snap	7-6-3, 7-6-4
Illegal substitution	4-7-2, 5-2-8, 5-3-2
Illegal touching of a forward pass	8-1-8
Illegally touching of a free kick	6-2-5
Illegal use of hands by defense	12-1-7
Ineligible player downfield on kick	9-1-2
Ineligible player downfield on pass	8-3-1
Invalid fair catch signal	10-2-2
Kicking team player voluntarily out of bounds	9-1-5
Neutral zone infraction	7-4-4
Offside	7-4-5
Punt, drop kick, or place kick from beyond the line	9-1-1
Running into kicker	12-2-12
Second excess team timeout after two-minute warning	4-5-4
Team timeout called when not allowed	4-5-1
Too many players on the field	5-1-1
Voluntarily going out of bounds on free kick	6-2-6

Loss of Ten Yards
Assisting the runner	12-1-4
Holding (offense)	12-1-3(c)
Illegal batting	12-5-1
Illegal blocking or use of hands (free kick)	6-2-1, 6-2-2
Illegal kicking	12-5-2
Illegal use of hands (offense)	12-1-3(a)
Illegal block in the back	12-1-3(b)
Offensive pass interference	8-5-2, 8-5-4

Loss of Fifteen Yards
Attempting to call excess/illegal timeout to freeze kicker	12-3-1(v)
Blindside block	12-2-7
Blocking a kicking team player out of bounds	12-2-8(c)
Chop block	12-2-5
Clipping	12-2-1
Concealing ball or using equipment to simulate ball	12-3-1(j)
Crackback block	12-2-6
Delaying the start of a half	4-2-1(a)
Disconcerting acts or signals	12-3-1(i)
Forcibly contacting a player out of bounds	12-2-8(b)
Goaltending	12-3-1(s)
Horse-collar tackle	12-2-16
Illegal block after fair catch signal	10-2-2
Illegal block below the waist	12-2-4
Hip-drop tackle	12-2-18
Illegal contact after a fair catch	10-2-3
Illegal cut block	8-4-5, 12-2-3
Illegal double team block	6-2-1, Item 2(c), 6-2-2, Item 2(d)
Illegal wedge on free kick	6-2-1, Item 2(d), 6-2-2, Item 2(d)
Illegally entering field	4-1-2
Impermissible Use of the Helmet	12-2-10
Interference with a fair catch	10-1-1
Interference with the opportunity to make a catch	10-1-1
Kicker or holder simulating being roughed	12-3-1(t)
Kicking player not attempting to return inbounds	12-3-1(u)
Leaping	12-3-1(o), (r)
Leg whip	12-2-8(a)
Leverage	12-3-1(p)
Non-player unnecessary contact or abusive language	13-8
Peel back block	12-2-2
Picking up a teammate to block a kick	12-3-1(q)
Player going in motion in front of bench area	12-3-1(l)
Prohibited contact to a defenseless player	12-2-9
Prolonged or excessive celebration	12-3-1(f)
Pulling opponent off a pile of players	12-2-8(h)
Pushing teammate on scrimmage kick	9-1-3
Removal of helmet in the field of play	12-3-1(h)
Repeated illegal substitutions when time is in	12-3-1(m)
Roughing the holder	12-2-13
Roughing the kicker	12-2-12
Roughing the passer	12-2-11
Striking, kicking, tripping or kneeing an opponent	12-2-14
Successive delay of game penalties when time in	12-3-1(n)
Throwing a punch, forearm, or kicking at opponent	12-3-1(a)
Twisting, turning or pulling of opponent’s facemask	12-2-15
Unnecessary contact against a runner	12-2-8(d), (f)
Unnecessary contact against player on the ground	12-2-8(e)
Unnecessary contact to a kicker out of the play	12-2-8(i)
Unnecessary contact to a player out of the play	12-2-8(g)
Unnecessary physical contact with game official	12-3-1(e)
Unnecessary roughness	12-2-8
Unsportsmanlike conduct by non-player	13-1
Use of the helmet as a weapon	12-2-17
Using abusive, threatening or insulting language	12-3-1(b)
Using an object as a prop	12-3-1(g)
Using baiting or taunting acts or words	12-3-1(c)
Using substitutes or returning players to deceive	12-3-1(k)
Violent, offensive, or sexually suggestive gesture	12-3-1(d)

Loss of Down Without Yardage
Illegal touching of forward pass by an eligible receiver who had gone out of bounds and reestablished	8-1-8(b)

Loss of Down with Yardage
Illegal batting behind the line of scrimmage	12-5-1
Illegal forward handing beyond the line of scrimmage or to an ineligible receiver behind the line of scrimmage	8-7-4
Illegal forward pass	8-1-2
Backward Pass Out of Bounds that Conserves Time	8-7-2
Intentional grounding	8-2-1
Illegal kicking behind the line of scrimmage	12-5-2
Punt, drop kick, or place kick from beyond scrimmage	9-1-1

Ball Placed on 1-Yard Line
Defensive pass interference in its end zone and previous spot is outside its 2-yard line	8-5

Time Penalty
Actions to conserve time	4-7-1
Fouling by defense, illegal touching or fair catch interfering by offense or fouling by both teams at end of half during play in which time expires (extend quarter)	4-8-2

Replay Penalties
Defensive foul on unsuccessful Try	11-3-3
Double foul without change of possession	14-5-1

Scoring Penalties
Try
Foul by Team B that would result in a safety during Try	11-3-3

Score Awarded
Palpably unfair act	12-3-4, 13-1-7
Repeated fouling by defense to prevent score	12-3-2

Safety
Enforcement for offensive foul behind goal line	11-5-1, 14-2-2
Intentional grounding in own end zone	8-2-1

Score Not Allowed
Offending team scores after foul during down in which time expires for half (with no extension of time)	4-8-2(b)

Unsuccessful Try
Team A committing foul during a Try which would ordinarily result:
in loss of down or in a touchback	11-3-3
in loss of ball in field of play (not during a kick)	11-3-3
Team B recovering ball	11-3-3

New Series Penalties
Team B foul during scrimmage down	14-1-2, Item 5

Combination Penalties
Loss of Ball and Fifteen Yards
Fair catch interference	10-1-1
Prohibited contact against a kick returner	12-2-9(a)(6)

Time Restored and Fifteen Yards
Intentional fouls to manipulate game clock	12-3-3

Miscellaneous Situations
Fair Catch Awarded
Interference with opportunity to make fair catch	10-1-1, 10-2-2

First down at Spot of Foul
Defensive pass interference	8-5-2, 4

Safety
Ball in possession of team behind or out of bound behind own goal line and impetus from player of that team	11-5-1

Touchback
Illegal touching of scrimmage kick inside five-yard line	9-2-3

Kickoff Out of Bounds Between Goal Lines
Receiver’s ball at inbounds spot	6-2-4
Receiver’s ball 25 yards from spot of kick	6-2-4

Kickoff Not Reaching the Landing Zone
Receiver’s ball at inbounds spot	6-2-4
Receiver’s ball 25 yards from spot of kick	6-2-4
Receiver’s ball at the spot where ball lands or touched	6-2-4

Ball Remains Dead
Actions that delay game	4-6-4, 4-6-5
Snapping before Officials assume normal position	4-6-5(b)

Ball Dead Immediately
Committing acts that conserve time	4-7-1
Kickers recovering free kick	6-1-4(d)(1)
Kickers advancing after recovery of a scrimmage kick unless behind line	9-3-1, 9-3-2
Any kick touching receiver’s goal post or cross bar unless scoring field goal	6-1-5(c), 9-4-2, 11-6-2(d)
Official sounding whistle	7-2-1(o), 7-2-2
Catch after fair catch signal	10-2-3

Penalty Enforced from Goal Line
Spot of enforcement behind other team’s goal line	14-2-2
Runner crosses opponent’s goal line and spot of enforcing foul by teammate during run is behind defense goal line	14-2-2

Penalty Enforced on Next Free Kick
Personal foul, unsportsmanlike conduct foul, or palpably unfair act committed during opponent scoring play	14-2-3

Loss of Fifteen Yards from the Kicking Team’s Restraining Line
Onside Kick Untouched Beyond Onside Kick Setup Zone	6-1-6

Table of Foul Codes
PENALTY	FOUL CODE
Chop Block	CHB
Clipping	CLP
Defensive Delay of Game	DOD
Defensive Holding	DH
Defensive Offside	DOF
Defensive Pass Interference	DPI
Defensive Too Many Men on Field	DTM
Delay of Game	DOG
Delay of Kickoff	DOK
Disqualification	DSQ
Encroachment	ENC
Facemask	FMM
Fair Catch Interference	FCI
False Start	FST
Hip-Drop Tackle	HDT
Horse Collar	HC
Illegal Bat	BAT
Illegal Blindside Block	BLI
Illegal Block Above the Waist	IBW
Illegal Contact	ICT
Illegal Crackback	ICB
Illegal Cut	ICU
Illegal Double Team Block	IDT
Illegal Formation	ILF
Illegal Forward Handoff	IFH
Illegal Forward Pass	IFP
Illegal Kick/Kicking Loose Ball	KIK
Illegal Motion	ILM
Illegal Peel Back	IPB
Illegal Punt	IPU
Illegal Shift	ISH
Illegal Substitution	ILS
Illegal Touch—Kick	ITK
Illegal Touch—Pass	ITP
Illegal Use of Hands	ILH
Illegal Wedge	WED
Impermissible Use of Helmet	UOH
Ineligible Downfield Kick	IDK
Ineligible Downfield Pass	IDP
Intentional Grounding	ING
Invalid Fair Catch Signal	IFC
Kick Catch Interference	KCI
Kickoff Out of Bounds	KOB
Landing Zone	LZ
Leaping	LEA
Leverage	LEV
Low Block	LBL
Neutral Zone Infraction	NZI
Offensive Holding	OH
Offensive Offside	OOF
Offensive Pass Interference	OPI
Offensive Too Many Men on Field	OTM
Offside on Free Kick	OFK
Player Out of Bounds on Kick	POK
Roughing the Kicker	RRK
Roughing the Passer	RPS
Running into the Kicker	RNK
Taunting	TAU
Tripping	TRP
Unnecessary Roughness	UNR
Unsportsmanlike Conduct	UNS

Team Abbreviation Codes
TEAM	CODE
Arizona Cardinals	ARZ
Atlanta Falcons	ATL
Baltimore Ravens	BLT
Buffalo Bills	BUF
Carolina Panthers	CAR
Chicago Bears	CHI
Cincinnati Bengals	CIN
Cleveland Browns	CLV
Dallas Cowboys	DAL
Denver Broncos	DEN
Detroit Lions	DET
Green Bay Packers	GB
Houston Texans	HST
Indianapolis Colts	IND
Jacksonville Jaguars	JAX
Kansas City Chiefs	KC
Las Vegas Raiders	LV
Los Angeles Chargers	LAC
Los Angeles Rams	LAR
Miami Dolphins	MIA
Minnesota Vikings	MIN
New England Patriots	NE
New Orleans Saints	NO
New York Giants	NYG
New York Jets	NYJ
Philadelphia Eagles	PHI
Pittsburgh Steelers	PIT
San Francisco 49ers	SF
Seattle Seahawks	SEA
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB
Tennessee Titans	TEN
Washington Commanders	WAS