Football 101: Offensive Penalty Hand Signals and What They Mean
- In This Quick Guide:
- False Start
- Illegal Motion
- Illegal Shift
- Illegal Formation
- Holding
- Illegal Use of the Hands
- Tripping
- Chop Block
- Illegal Substitution
- Pass Interference
- Illegal Forward Pass
- Ineligible Man Downfield
- Illegal Touching
- Delay of Game
- Intentional Grounding
- Personal Foul
- Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Knowing what the referees are doing when they are flashing hand signals is a big part of knowing the game of football. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the hand signals for offensive penalties and what they mean.
False Start
During the cadence, offensive players get into the set position, a stationary stance from where they are not allowed to move until the ball is snapped. When a player who is set moves before the snap, the offense receives a 5-yard penalty for a false start. The official signals this by making a rolling motion with his two arms in front of him.
Illegal Motion
One offensive player is allowed to be in motion while the other players are in a set position. However, if this player makes a move upfield before the snap of the ball, the offense receives a 5-yard illegal motion call. The official simply takes one arm at chest level and extends it outward.
Illegal Shift
If more than one player is in motion before the snap, the team receives a 5-yard penalty for an illegal shift. This signal is the same as with illegal motion, only the official uses both hands.
Illegal Formation
If the offense doesn’t have enough men along the line of scrimmage, or if it has too many, the game official calls an illegal formation, which carries a 5-yard penalty. The official uses the same signal as false start for this penalty.
Holding
One of the most common offensive penalties, holding is also one of the most costly: 10 yards. The official holds one arm with a closed fist against his body with the arm grasping the wrist. They say offensive blockers are guilty of holding on every play, but what the game officials are looking for is to see if the defender is unable to break free from the blocker’s grasp.
Illegal Use of the Hands
Like defensive players, offensive players cannot use their hands without restriction. Linemen and wide receivers often get flagged 10 yards for placing their hands on the face of a defender. The signal is the left hand out with the right hand grasping the left wrist.
Tripping
An offensive player is not allowed to trip a defensive player during the play. Offensive linemen commonly commit this foul when trying to prevent a pass rusher from getting to the quarterback. It may be worth saving their quarterback, but it costs the offense 10 yards. To signal this, the official stands on one leg while using the other to illustrate a tripping motion.
Chop Block
Another lineman no-no is the chop block, illustrated by a game official striking both of his legs while in a squatted position. This is a dangerous block, which is why it carries a 15-yard penalty. A lineman is guilty of a chop block when he makes a low block on a defender who is already physically engaged with another offensive player.
Illegal Substitution
When an offense brings in an ineligible player, or has too many men in the huddle or on the field at the time of the snap, it is given a 5-yard penalty. The official puts both hands on top of his head to signal this.
Pass Interference
This penalty is most commonly called on the defense, but the offense is not immune. The rules state than an offensive player may not interfere with a defender’s right to make a play on a pass in the air. If he does, he’ll be called for offensive pass interference, and his team will receive a 10-yard penalty. The signal for this is one fans dread seeing: the official pushes both palms out away from his body.
Illegal Forward Pass
An official makes this call if the quarterback throws the ball after he crosses the line of scrimmage, or if two forward passes are made on the same play. The result of the play is negated, and the offense is penalized 5 yards from the spot of the infraction and suffers a loss of down. The official signals this by waving one arm behind his back.
Ineligible Man Downfield
On passing downs before the ball is thrown, the offense can have only five of its players beyond the line of scrimmage. Any more than that, or any lineman downfield who does not qualify as an eligible receiver based on his uniform number, and the team is flagged for a 5-yard penalty. The official simply puts one hand on his head to signal this penalty.
Illegal Touching
If the official touches both shoulders with the tips of his fingers, it means an offensive player has made contact with the ball illegally. Usually this 5-yard penalty is called when a pass strikes an illegible lineman before touching an eligible receiver or defender.
Delay of Game
If the offense fails to snap the ball before the play clock expires, the team is flagged 5 yards. Game officials demonstrate this by folding their arms in front of their body. The officials also use this call when a player kicks a football or does something to disrupt the officials’ ability to manage the game.
Intentional Grounding
Sometimes quarterbacks get into sticky situations. Whenever possible, a quarterback is better off throwing an incomplete pass than taking a sack for lost yardage. However, game officials flag a quarterback for intentional grounding if they deem no receiver was in the vicinity of where the quarterback was throwing the ball, and if the quarterback was neither inside the pocket nor got the ball back to the original line of scrimmage. The official illustrates this by taking both hands and making a slashing motion in front of his body. For this, the offense accepts both a 10-yard penalty and a loss of down.
Personal Foul
The personal foul call usually precedes another, more specific type of infraction on the offense. The official shows this by holding one arm out, head high, and striking it with a chopping motion using the other arm. For example, the game official may first signal a personal foul and then signal a chop block. The personal foul call can be used for any number of major infractions on the offense. All personal fouls carry a 15-yard penalty.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct
If an offensive player argues with an official, taunts or fights with a defensive player, or is guilty of excessively celebrating an important play or score, he may get flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. The official stretches both arms out away from each side, shoulder height.
Now that you know what the hand signals mean, you’ll have more fun watching your next game. For more information on football rules, check out our Quick Guides Football 101: General Hand Signals and What They Mean and Football 101: Defensive Penalty Hand Signals and What They Mean. Enjoy the game!
From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Football by Mike Beacom
