Penalty Data Entry Tips

1) Delay of Game penalties should have a player listed. If the punter is on the field, the penalty is on him. If the holder is on the field for a field goal attempt, it’s on him. If the quarterback is on the field and there isn’t a kicker, the quarterback gets the penalty. There are times when no one is on the field. Typically the officials list the penalty as being on the quarterback in those situations. Note: they rarely announce that the delay of game penalty is on player X, but they record a player in their post game reports.

2) When the officials announce a penalty for “12 men in the huddle” on the offense, the penalty should be recorded as Illegal Substitution. Illegal Substitution is much more common then Offensive 12 On-Field (ILS called 162 times over last 5 years compared to 44 OTM penalties). Offensive 12 On-Field is only recorded if there was a time out before the play (either team or official), so Illegal Substitution will never be recorded on a kickoff play for example. If the defense has 12 players on the field the penalty is always Defensive 12 On-Field (DTM).

3) Offsides by the kicking team on a kickoff is always Offsides on Free Kick (OFK), not Offensive Offsides. This includes onsides kicks.

4) An “illegal snap” should be recorded as a False Start on the center.

5) If the officials announce a penalty as “Personal Foul, Unnecessary Roughness” the penalty should be recorded as Unnecessary Roughness (UNR), not Personal Foul. These are all personal foul penalties: Unnecessary Roughness, Face Mask (15 Yards), Chop Block, Low Block and Roughing the Passer. The officials always record the specific type of personal foul, not the generic “Personal Foul” designation.

6) The NFL's Officiating department requests that if the referee announces a penalty as “offsides, defense, unabated to the quarterback” that a comment be added to the play saying “unabated to the quarterback”. The penalty should be recorded as Defensive Offsides (DOF).