ENRUES
All penalties

Too many men on the field

Penalty: Offense, Defense, Special teams

What it is

A team has more than 11 players on the field at the snap.

The penalty

The penalty is 5 yards, and the down is replayed. The penalty is enforced from the line of scrimmage.

More detail

It usually happens during substitutions: a unit is running off while the next one is running on and the ball is snapped too early.

Animated play

101020203030404050504040303020201010END ZONEEND ZONEXXXXA twelfth player runs on lateToo many men on the field5 yards back, replay the downEleven players are on the field.A substitute arrives before another one has left.

Blue circles are the team with the ball. X marks the other team. The yellow oval is the ball.

  1. Each team may have only eleven players on the field at the snap.
  2. A substitute runs on before the player he replaces has gone off, so there are twelve.
  3. The official throws a flag: five yards, and the down is replayed.