ENRUES
All penalties

Unnecessary roughness

Penalty: Offense, Defense, Special teams

What it is

A catch-all personal foul for hits beyond what the rules allow, such as hitting a player after the whistle, hitting a defenseless player, or hitting a player who is out of bounds.

The penalty

The penalty is 15 yards, plus an automatic first down if the defense commits it. The penalty is enforced from the spot of the foul. A flagrant hit can also get a player thrown out of the game.

More detail

The league keeps adding detail to this rule to protect players who are most exposed to injury, such as a receiver who has not yet turned to face the ball.

Animated play

101020203030404050504040303020201010END ZONEEND ZONEXOut of bounds: the play is deadHit after the whistleUnnecessary roughness15 yards added to the playAutomatic first downThe runner heads for the sideline.He steps out of bounds, and a defender hits him anyway.

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

  1. A runner goes out of bounds near the sideline, so the play is over.
  2. A defender arrives late and hits him anyway.
  3. The officials flag unnecessary roughness. It is a fifteen-yard penalty and the offense gets a first down.