The 5 Most Common NFL Penalties Explained
Nothing pulls the energy out of a big football play faster than a yellow flag hitting the turf. But if you’re new to watching football, NFL penalties can feel like a secret language. The refs throw a flag, the crowd groans or cheers, and everyone seems to know exactly what just happened, except you. We are here to change that.
This guide breaks down the five most common penalties, the ones you’ll likely see most often. We’ll also take a closer look at the pre-snap penalties that trip up even longtime fans. By the end, you may not be ready to don black-and-white stripes, but you will look like a seasoned fan at your next watch party.
At a Glance: The Most Common NFL Penalties
1. False Start
A false start happens when an offensive player moves before the ball is snapped, after the offense has already lined up and settled. Think of a lineman flinching or a receiver taking an early step. This penalty costs the offense 5 yards and is one of the most frequent calls in football, often because crowd noise on the road makes it hard for players to hear the snap count. According to Sports Reference, there were 657 false-start penalties called during the 2025 NFL season, costing teams a total of 3,200 yards or nearly 12 yards per game.
2. Offensive Holding
Holding is called when an offensive player illegally grabs, pulls or restricts a defender who is not the ball carrier. A little bit of contact is tolerated during a typical football game, but the flag comes out when a blocker hangs on, pulls a jersey or wraps up a defender to stop them from making a play. Offensive holding results in a 10-yard penalty and, depending on where it happens, can wipe out a big gain. Sports Reference logged 617 offensive holding penalties in 2025 for nearly 6,000 penalty yards or almost 22 yards per game.
3. Defensive Pass Interference
Defensive pass interference is one of the NFL penalties that draws the loudest reaction from fans. This penalty is called when a defender significantly hinders a receiver’s ability to catch a pass before the ball arrives, often through grabbing or early contact that is not a fair attempt to play the ball. Unlike other penalties that incur a flat yardage deduction, DPI is a spot foul, meaning the ball is placed where the penalty occurred, which can mean a huge gain for the offense. There were 279 DPI calls in the 2025 season, resulting in 15.5 yards per game.
4. Defensive Holding
Defensive holding is similar to offensive holding but on the other side of the ball. This penalty occurs when a defender grabs or restricts an offensive player (other than the quarterback) who does not have the ball. This is most often called on cornerbacks trying to slow down a receiver off the line. It results in a 5-yard penalty and an automatic first down for the offense. In 2025, there were 234 defensive holding penalties in 2025 for 1,348 total yards or nearly 5 yards per game.
5. Delay of Game
The offense has 40 seconds between plays to snap the ball once the play clock starts. If the ball is not snapped in time, it is a delay of game, resulting in a 5-yard penalty. You will often see this happen when a quarterback is deciding between plays based on the defense or trying to draw the defense offside near the goal line. There were 176 total delay-of-game fouls called in 2025, resulting in 3 penalty yards per game.
Pre-Snap Penalties: What Is the Difference?
Pre-snap penalties confuse a lot of fans — both novices and experienced football watchers — because several of them look and sound nearly identical in real time. Here is a simple way to sort them out.
On offense, most pre-snap penalties come down to players moving when they should be still:
- False start is early movement after the offense has set.
- Illegal formation happens when the offense does not have enough players on the line or lines up incorrectly in the backfield.
- Illegal shift happens when more than one player moves at the snap or a backfield player moves toward the line of scrimmage too soon.
On defense, pre-snap penalties usually involve crossing the line of scrimmage too early:
- Offsides means a defender is past the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped.
- Encroachment is like offsides but includes contact with an offensive player or the ball before the snap.
- Neutral zone infraction is a bit different. Here, the defender crosses the line early, causing an offensive player to flinch and potentially drawing a false start on the offense.
First-Timer Tip: Offensive pre-snap penalties are mostly about players moving too soon, and defensive pre-snap penalties are mostly about players crossing the line too soon.
You Did It, First-Timer!
Once you can spot the most common NFL penalties, the rest of the game starts to make a lot more sense. The next time a flag hits the field, you will know exactly what’s coming and what your team needs to do to take advantage of the situation or reduce the damage, depending on which way the flag flies.
Want to learn more about NFL football? Start with our Beginner’s Guide to Watching NFL Football Without Feeling Lost and head to The NFL Playoffs Explained: A Simple First-Timer’s Guide to understand how your team can navigate the year, from pre-season to Super Bowl.
