The 5 Yard Facemask Penalty

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by BktBallRef
Gentlemen, the 5 yard facemask foul has become a scapegoat for us as officials.

I am so tired of seeing officials who do not have the gonads to make the personal foul call when the mask is grabbed and the runner's head is turned or twisted. That's a 15 yard foul. It was not the intent of the rule to allow a 5 yard foul to be called in that situation. The intent was to have the incidental facemask called, as officials were hesitant to throw a 15 yarder, for simply inadvertantly grabbing the mask. Instead, officials are using the 5 yarder as a crutch for the 15 yarder, to penalize the offending team but "too harshly," even though the head is being twisted.

It's bull$hit and I'm tired of seeing it.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now!

All facemask infractions are 15 yards + 1D if by defense.

There's no possibility of messing the call up by only awarding 5 yards.