DPI enforcement spot

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by ajmc

The basic penalty principle the game is built on is simply a choice of accepting the results of a play or accepting a penalty, for whatever foul was committed, and replaying the down. Over time there have been exceptions to that basic principle for very specific situations, but they are based on specific circumstances.

So what specific circumstance would this rule be based upon? I can understand enforcing succeeding spot fouls and dead-ball fouls on the try and/or kickoff, but I can't wrap my head around the logic of enforcing previous-spot fouls this way.