Idea for penalty rule change

[Biggems]

Ok, you are inside your own 20. If you get a penalty, the refs say half the distance. I say if you are able to mark off the full length, you do so. If not, you go back to the 1, and then extend to first down marker the rest of the yardage.

For instance, you are 1st and 10 at the 6. You get flagged for holding, a 10 yd penalty. The ref marks you back to the 1, then moves the first down marker to the 21. You have been legitimately penalized and the D doesn't get punished for an offensive mistake.

Conversely, on the other end of the field, you take it down to the 1 when you can. Once you cannot give full penalty yardage anymore, every defensive penalty results in an automatic 1st down. This way the offense isn't punished for the defensive mistake.

One more thing. If the play is over, whistle blown, and then both teams get flagged for post-play stuff does the play stand, I cannot remember.

 

[Kevinicus]

I still don't like it (don't like the current rules either). I think if the ball is in a position where it would be half the distance for one team, then a penalty on the other team should also be half the distance.

Say a team is on the opponent 5:

If the defense is offsides, it is half the distance and goes to the 2.5.
If the offense gets a false start, it goes back the full 5 to the 10.

A penalty is more damaging for the team away from the end zone.

I think if the offense gets a false start there, it should go back to the 7.5.

There's still a lot that would need tweaked, though. Maybe a combination of what you suggest and what I suggest. The biggest problem are those plays that are right up against the goal line which the defense doesn't get penalized at all. An automatic first is one thing, but that is already the rule for most defensive penalties, and it wouldn't have an impact if it was already first down.

 

[Ranched]

Ok, you are inside your own 20. If you get a penalty, the refs say half the distance. I say if you are able to mark off the full length, you do so. If not, you go back to the 1, and then extend to first down marker the rest of the yardage.

For instance, you are 1st and 10 at the 6. You get flagged for holding, a 10 yd penalty. The ref marks you back to the 1, then moves the first down marker to the 21. You have been legitimately penalized and the D doesn't get punished for an offensive mistake.

Conversely, on the other end of the field, you take it down to the 1 when you can. Once you cannot give full penalty yardage anymore, every defensive penalty results in an automatic 1st down. This way the offense isn't punished for the defensive mistake.

One more thing. If the play is over, whistle blown, and then both teams get flagged for post-play stuff does the play stand, I cannot remember.

How are ya at being a HC?

 

[Blackspider214]

Do away with automatic first downs for defensive penalties. I think every defensive penalty is an automatic first down except offsides. If it is 3rd and 50 and the defense gets a 5 yard illegal contact penalty, it becomes 1st down.

 

[Flamma]

One more thing. If the play is over, whistle blown, and then both teams get flagged for post-play stuff does the play stand, I cannot remember.

Yeah I'm pretty sure the play counts.

 

[Biggems]

How are ya at being a HC?

I'd make Dave Campo look like Tom Landry, Don Shula, Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll, Bill Belichick, Bill Walsh, and George Halas combined......so yeah, we would suck far worse than the creamsicle Bucs of the NFL follies videos, along with the Saints prior to coach Payton. We would be the LA Clippers of the NFL. Even the Browns would laugh at us.