NFL penalties that fans don't understand

There’s an argument to be made that football is the hardest sport to officiate, given the level of physical play involving over 20 athletes. With that being said, fans can’t stand when a call goes against their team, and are even more flustered when the infraction is less than obvious. We’ll highlight the penalties that tend to flummox fans the most.

It’s probably the call that impacts the game the most, since it can drastically change field position for an offense. Defensive pass interference feels very subjective, and is hard to judge in full speed, or even in slow motion.

Generally speaking, if the defensive player is looking back at the ball and is making minimal to no contact with the receiver, the flag can be avoided.

Much to the chagrin of defensive coordinators, offensive pass interference is called much more sparingly than defensive pass interference. Offensive pass interference usually comes into play when a receiver extends both arms to shove a defender away, or seems to intentionally run into a defender to create open space for a teammate.

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Illegal shifts can be tricky to spot, especially as the play clock winds down and the quarterback is rushing to get everyone set. This is usually flagged when two players on offense are in motion before the snap and don’t reset prior to the ball being hiked.

It’s one rule that actually benefits the defense, so that multiple players don’t get a running head start.

Monday Night Football commentator Troy Aikman has mentioned the emphasis on this infraction during the 2023 season. It seems like an innocuous thing to most fans, but offensive lineman(who are usually ineligible receivers) aren’t allowed to scamper past the line of scrimmage without blocking someone while a forward pass is being thrown.

If defensive pass interference grinds fans’ gears the most, then roughing the passer isn’t far behind on the list.

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It’s very difficult for a pass rusher to hit the quarterback legally in the NFL these days, as the league has rules prohibiting defenders from striking passers below the knee and in the head. Blitzers also cannot land on the quarterback with their full body weight.

Illegal block in the back usually comes into play during wide-open sequences like special teams returns or plays where the ballcarrier shifts gears. The infraction is exactly what it sounds like, so players will often times run towards the back of the player they want to block with their arms up to avoid being flagged.

There’s an old cliché in the NFL that officials could call holding on each and every play if they wanted to. That’s probably true, but players on offense and defense need to refrain from grabbing jerseys, or reaching outside the frame of the player they are engaged with.

This is especially hard to spot in the trenches, though, as the proximity and nimble movement of offensive and defensive linemen makes an official's job that much more difficult.

The NFL has relaxed their policy on endzone celebrations, which makes for a more enjoyable experience when players score touchdowns. Still, there are times when officials flag a player for taunting when it didn’t seem like they did much to deserve it.

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Nowadays, players need to be careful about staring down an opponent or flipping a ball in their general direction.

This infraction is nebulous to fans and players both. It can be hard to keep track of what alignments are allowed and which are prohibited.

An illegal formation penalty in a December 2023 game cost the Kansas City Chiefs a potential victory against the Buffalo Bills, when Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney lined up across the line of scrimmage.

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