Least Favorite Penalty

[redlegsfan21]

Simple, answer the question.

[Brady Quinn]

Helping the runner, but they never call it anyway. Damn you Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart!

[football junkie]

I voted for "unsportsmanlike conduct". For one simple reason, I think players should be allowed to celebrate after they score a touchdown. You can't even spike the ball!

Now I could see if a celebration was really over the top. But penalizing a person for doing an endzone dance after they score a touchdown is just plain stupid -- I don't even think it fits the definition of the penalty.

[efin98]

I voted for "unsportsmanlike conduct". For one simple reason, I think players should be allowed to celebrate after they score a touchdown. You can't even spike the ball!

Now I could see if a celebration was really over the top. But penalizing a person for doing an endzone dance after they score a touchdown is just plain stupid -- I don't even think it fits the definition of the penalty.

If it was "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" in regards to celebrations, I agree with you. I want them to start calling it what it is instead of using the broad "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" call - it should be "Taunting" which is also a 15 year penalty but entirely different than the normal "Unsportsmanlike Conduct".

I think he may have meant "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" in the sense of players fighting on the field, yanking each other after the play, refusing to get off each other after the whisle is blown- basically, every other instance of "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" being called outside the endzone, fumble recovery, and interception dances and celebrations that you see each week.

[efin98]

The penalties that really drive me crazy whenever I see them are the movement penalties- offsides, encroachment, illegal shifts, and illegal formations.

Each time I see a team committing them I cringe- they should not commit those mental mistakes!!!! They need to keep their eyes on the ball and where they are at, no excuse for not doing that!!!!!!!!

[brady_branch]

Intentional grounding by a mile. Nothing else comes close. It's so hard to tell if it's intentional grounding or not, they should just get rid of it.

[12th man seahawks fan]

Intentional grounding by a mile. Nothing else comes close. It's so hard to tell if it's intentional grounding or not, they should just get rid of it.

Agreed. I mean, you can always argue you were trying to throw it to someone, and that it slipped out of your hands. There is no real proof you can throw at them to make the call.

[efin98]

Agreed. I mean, you can always argue you were trying to throw it to someone, and that it slipped out of your hands. There is no real proof you can throw at them to make the call.

PROOF???? Proof has nothing to do with it, it's a judgement call by the official. TV replays can't even accurately show where the QB is on most of those calls.

[football junkie]

The penalties that really drive me crazy whenever I see them are the movement penalties- offsides, encroachment, illegal shifts, and illegal formations.

Each time I see a team committing them I cringe- they should not commit those mental mistakes!!!! They need to keep their eyes on the ball and where they are at, no excuse for not doing that!!!!!!!!


I bet after Nate Washington's play last Sunday that most fans in Pittsburgh would agree with you.

In case any of you don't know, with eight seconds left on the game clock, Washington, a Steelers' wide out, sort of twitched on the line of scrimmage. The refs called the movement penalty and that one entails an automatic 10 second game clock run off -- effectively ending regulation. Now the Steelers were in field goal range at the time of the penalty. So due to the penalty the Steelers didn't have time to get Jeff Reed out on the field to attempt the field goal that likely would have won the game. (I believe the Steelers were out of time outs and were just trying to get to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball and kill the clock at the time of the penalty.) The Steelers lost the over-time toss and eventually the game to a Morten Anderson field goal.

That ten second run off makes no sense to me. And it seems like it's only enforced at the very end of games. (Maybe I'm just imagining that.)

[efin98]

I bet after Nate Washington's play last Sunday that most fans in Pittsburgh would agree with you.

I wasn't thinking about that when I posted but that's the perfect example of it.

That ten second run off makes no sense to me. And it seems like it's only enforced at the very end of games. (Maybe I'm just imagining that.)

It is only in effect during the ends of games.

The rule (http://www.nfl.com/fans/rules/timingfinal):
2. A team cannot buy an excess time out for a penalty. However, a fourth time out is allowed without penalty for an injured player, who must be removed immediately. A fifth time out or more is allowed for an injury and a five-yard penalty is assessed if the clock was running. Additionally, if the clock was running and the score is tied or the team in possession is losing, the ball cannot be put in play for at least 10 seconds on the fourth or more time out. The half or game can end while those 10 seconds are run off on the clock.

Basically, it's to prevent the team from trying to use the penalty stopage as an extra time out. It's unfortunate that it ended up costing them the game but the rules are the rules.

[Packer Backer]

I was trying to find that stupid after 5 yard "bumping" penalty. The officials have been calling this more and more against DB's. I think the automatic first down should be eliminated... That's just too excessive, IMO.

[racosun]

To me, it's the illegal motion penalty. Most teams are pretty good at avoiding this penalty, but I think it shouldn't be a penalty at all, at least in most cases. I would't mind allowing the receivers to get a running start at a play, ala the CFL. Of course, the lack of overall talent at the cornerback position would really make this a terrible time to switch the rule, but nonetheless, I'd like to see some pre-snap motion by certain skill positions.

[efin98]

I was trying to find that stupid after 5 yard "bumping" penalty. The officials have been calling this more and more against DB's. I think the automatic first down should be eliminated... That's just too excessive, IMO.

It's illegal contact, called because of the bitching by WRs and QBs who are tired of having DBs taking advantage of their mistakes.

[boomer]

I just get annoyed at the zebras who get flag happy. Lets face it, holding can get called on the interior lineman on every play and on most pass plays there is some contact. I hate it when it gets marginal. Same thing with roughing the QB, some zebs act as if it's their daughter back there...unless it's flagrant, I hate to see it called.

[soberdennis]

I am not sure how you define least favorite. If you mean the one you least like to see your team committ, I would say "too many men on the field". It is a stupid penalty which should never happen to any team. Unfortunately, it does happen.

[efin98]

I just get annoyed at the zebras who get flag happy. Lets face it, holding can get called on the interior lineman on every play and on most pass plays there is some contact. I hate it when it gets marginal. Same thing with roughing the QB, some zebs act as if it's their daughter back there...unless it's flagrant, I hate to see it called.

There's a line between blocking and holding though. A closed hand holding onto the defensive player will draw you a penalty, an open hand will not.

You learn the right way and wrong way to block- the wrong way won't work and causes more sacks, the right way works and prevents sacks. It's laziness of linemen that leads to the penalties being called, not the flag happy zebras.

[brady_branch]

A close second to intentional grounding for me is false start. As a QB, I hate it when my line jumps early, even when I specifically called Power 90 on two and they jump on one.

[Argonaut Fan]

What are:

"Faking a roughing" (pretending to hit someone?), "Helping the runner" (giving him a push, or a boost?) and "Illegal use of hands" (no idea...)?

For me, I hate it when they call pass interference. Once again, it's such a tough call. When it's marginal, I just hate it.

[redlegsfan21]

What are:

"Faking a roughing" (pretending to hit someone?), "Helping the runner" (giving him a push, or a boost?) and "Illegal use of hands" (no idea...)?

For me, I hate it when they call pass interference. Once again, it's such a tough call. When it's marginal, I just hate it.
Faking a roughing is when a player acts like he was roughed but really wasn't. Helping the runner is actually exactly like Reggie Bush give Matt Leinart a push to help the runner gain yards. Illegal use of hands is holding up a player after 5 yards (like holding, except on defense).

[Argonaut Fan]

In that case, my new least-favorite would have to be Faking a Roughing. From what you wrote, it sounds like "Diving" in hockey (for those who don't know hockey, its falling when someone touches you, to make it look like they triooed you). And up here in Canada, diving in hockey is the only thing that people might allow the death penalty for ;).

[D.C.]

Least favourite penalty? That's a toughie...Any call that's overly soft (for instance if you sneeze near the kicker, it's roughing etc) but for a rule that I'd like to see abolished it's helping the runner, I think it'd be cool to see this used by teams, just like in rugby.

[efin98]

What are:

"Faking a roughing" (pretending to hit someone?), "Helping the runner" (giving him a push, or a boost?) and "Illegal use of hands" (no idea...)?

For me, I hate it when they call pass interference. Once again, it's such a tough call. When it's marginal, I just hate it.

"Faking a roughing" is the QB or punter or kicker overacting- pretending to be hurt, laying down when barely being touched etc.

Helping the runner is a push in the back- think Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.

[efin98]

Illegal use of hands is holding up a player after 5 yards (like holding, except on defense).

It's also called against the offense and includes pushing off a defender or receiver.

It's pretty much the same as pass interference but while the ball is in the air and not on it's way down(watched way too much analysis on ESPN!)

[Seattle1]

I couldn't choose one. Basically, I think there is a good reason for all of these penalties.