Over the offseason, the NFL asked its officials to focus more on illegal contact penalties this season. And after just one week of preseason action, it’s becoming clear we’re going to see a lot more called this NFL football season.
NFL officials only threw 36 flags for illegal contact penalties all of last season. In just the first week of NFL preseason, referees have already called 15 illegal contact penalties, according to analysis from ESPN, marking a sharp increase from last year.
An illegal contact penalty refers to prohibited contact by downfield a defender when the quarterback still has the ball and remains in the pocket. The penalty is five yards and results in an automatic first down for the offense.
The league included illegal contact in its “points of clarification” notes – formerly called “points of emphasis” – to officials this offseason. The move came after referees called just 36 illegal contact penalties last season after calling it an average of 97 times per season between 2002 and 2020.
Based on history, fans can expect a noticeable increase in illegal contact penalties this season. The foul has been a point of emphasis twice before, ahead of the 2014 and 2004 seasons. In 2014, flags for illegal contact rose to 148 from 52 the previous year and rose to 191 from 79 in 2004.
While the NFL will likely be calling more illegal contact penalties this season, the league will also be easing up on calling roughing the passer – a penalty that has frustrated many NFL fans in recent years.
[ESPN]