Half the Distance to the Goal

[SCOUT]

Can someone explain this rule to me? I am not talking about the basic rule. I understand that if you are on the 8 yd line and get a 10 yd penalty it goes back 4 yards.

What I don't understand is when they are on the 21yd line and get an illegal block below the waste penalty, why is that half the distance to the goal?

Yes, I am watching the CU v WVU game on ESPN.

[Paperclip]

The maximum penalty is always half the distance to the goal. They couldn't assess the full 15 yards for the illegal block because it was more than half the distance to the goal.

[SCOUT]

The maximum penalty is always half the distance to the goal. They couldn't assess the full 15 yards for the illegal block because it was more than half the distance to the goal.

So if you get a 15 yard penalty inside the 30 it will be half the distance to the goal, is that right? Why wouldn't they just spot the ball on the 6 in the example I mentioned?

[Paperclip]

So if you get a 15 yard penalty inside the 30 it will be half the distance to the goal, is that right?

Right.


Why wouldn't they just spot the ball on the 6 in the example I mentioned?

Because 15 yards would exceed half the distance, the maximum penalty allowed.

[SCOUT]

Thanks

[humblesooner]

I have always thought that they should penalize the entire amount by first taking half the distance, then adding the balance of the penalty by moving the chains further away.

Example: You have the ball on the 12 yard line, first and ten, with the first down marker at the 22 yard line. Your left tackle commits a holding penalty.
The penalty would be to A) move the ball to the 6 yard line, and B) move the first down marker to the 26 yard line. This way the entire penalty is assessed making it first and twenty.

Now, getting 6 yards for a personal foul doesn't punish a team as much as it would if they were in the middle of the field.

[tigepilot]

I didn't see this particular play but I did think it was half the distance to the goal inside the 20. If the ball was at the 21 and the infraction was a 15 yarder from the spot of the foul, if the spot of the foul was inside the 20 it would still be half the distance to the goal. I also thought that even shorter yardage penalties such as a 5 yarder inside the 20 were half the distance to the goal even if that increased the penalty yardage.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

I have always thought that they should penalize the entire amount by first taking half the distance, then adding the balance of the penalty by moving the chains further away.

Example: You have the ball on the 12 yard line, first and ten, with the first down marker at the 22 yard line. Your left tackle commits a holding penalty.
The penalty would be to A) move the ball to the 6 yard line, and B) move the first down marker to the 26 yard line. This way the entire penalty is assessed making it first and twenty.

Now, getting 6 yards for a personal foul doesn't punish a team as much as it would if they were in the middle of the field.


Interesting idea. Makes sense. I like it... until it happens to us, then it is just stupid.

[badger]

Remember back in like 2001 or 2002 and they assessed a half the distance to the goal penalty on the other team and the refs were trying to nudge it from the one inch line to the one centimeter line? :D

[AZSOONER]

Interesting idea. Makes sense. I like it... until it happens to us, then it is just stupid.

:)

[AlbqSooner]

I didn't see this particular play but I did think it was half the distance to the goal inside the 20. If the ball was at the 21 and the infraction was a 15 yarder from the spot of the foul, if the spot of the foul was inside the 20 it would still be half the distance to the goal. I also thought that even shorter yardage penalties such as a 5 yarder inside the 20 were half the distance to the goal even if that increased the penalty yardage.

Wrong. Stating it another way, the penalty is the amount of the penalty OR half the distance to the goal, whichever is less.

[mfosterftw]

Half the distance has always bugged me. I always felt that all penalties should be walked off at their full distance, with anything walk-off resulting on the ball going inside the one yard line being marked at the one. If the previous spot was already at the one (or less), then it remains at the previous spot plus loss of down.

[jkjsooner]

So if you get a 15 yard penalty inside the 30 it will be half the distance to the goal, is that right? Why wouldn't they just spot the ball on the 6 in the example I mentioned?

Two situations:

The offense is on the 14 yard line and the defense gets a 15 yard penalty. The ball is moved half the distance to the 7 yard line.

The offense is on the 16 yard line and the defense gets a 15 yard penalty. Under your rule they would get the ball on the 1 yard line.

So, you want the offense to get a bigger advantage for being at the 16 than at the 14. That's illogical and thus the reason for the rule.

[SCOUT]

Two situations:

The offense is on the 14 yard line and the defense gets a 15 yard penalty. The ball is moved half the distance to the 7 yard line.

The offense is on the 16 yard line and the defense gets a 15 yard penalty. Under your rule they would get the ball on the 1 yard line.

So, you want the offense to get a bigger advantage for being at the 16 than at the 14. That's illogical and thus the reason for the rule.

Make the same case and change your numbers to 29 and 31 yards lines.

[JLEW1818]

In the NFL if there is pass interference in the end zone, its marked on the one right??

[jkjsooner]

Make the same case and change your numbers to 29 and 31 yards lines.

Offense on defense's 29 yard line. Defense gets 15 yard penalty. Ball goes to the 14 under your rule. Ball goes to the 14 1/2 under the real rule.

Offense on the 31 yard line. Defense gets 15 yard penalty. Ball goes to the 16.

I'm not sure what case you're trying to make here. In this case both would seem fairly fair. This just happens to not be a case that emphasizes why the rule is the way it is. I pointed out an example illustrating why it is.

Same with a 5 yard penalty from the 5.5 (moving to the .5) and 4 (moving to the 2). Same with a 10 yard penalty from the 11 (moving to the 1) and from the 9 (moving to the 4.5). These again are illogical.