Penalty on Offense & Defense

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by timharris

Hello All

A=Offense
D=Defense

I just need a clarification on how too handle a situation under the NFL rule administration.

(A) has the ball on a pass play the tight end holds the defense, on this same play we have a block below the waist on (D) the defense. Do these penalties offset and you replay the down? Do you go with the penalty that has the most severity.

What I think other posters have missed is that in order for BBW to be illegal in NFL play, there must've previously been a change of possession during the down. The pass must've been intercepted, and probably by "defense" the poster above meant the team that started the down on defense, or both fouls would be by the same team. It would matter whether the holding occurred before or after CoP. It's unlikely that holding by A would occur after the pass, but it might've.

Several years back these opposing fouls straddling a CoP in the NFL resulted in replaying the down, much to the consternation of the team that had gained possession before they too fouled. IIRC, this has been changed to allow the team designated "D" above to decline the penalty on A, and their penalty would be from the all-but-one spot (according to where their personal foul occurred relative to where their run ended), resulting in their starting a series 1st down. If both fouls occurred following the CoP, then the CoP would still be honored but the spot (with penalties offsetting) becoming the point where possession was gained.

Robert