Reason for "illegal man downfield" penalty

[Reverend Conehead]

I've often wondered why this penalty exists. It can be frustrating when your team's offense has just made a great play, only to have it called back by this penalty.

I've speculated as to why O linemen aren't allowed downfield, and this is my best guess. To be clear, this is my GUESS. I don't claim to have any inside or special knowledge. As near as I can tell, they don't want a bunch of linemen to run downfield and set themselves up as blockers, so that then you could pass to a receiver behind them and then that receiver would have a nearly invincible set of blockers in front of him. I'm thinking the league wanted to keep downfield as a competition between receivers and defensive backs on passing plays.

Does anyone know if my guess is correct? Or did the league have some other reason for doing it this way.

 

[DogFace]

I think you’re right.

 

[Reality]

I've often wondered why this penalty exists. It can be frustrating when your team's offense has just made a great play, only to have it called back by this penalty.

I've speculated as to why O linemen aren't allowed downfield, and this is my best guess. To be clear, this is my GUESS. I don't claim to have any inside or special knowledge. As near as I can tell, they don't want a bunch of linemen to run downfield and set themselves up as blockers, so that then you could pass to a receiver behind them and then that receiver would have a nearly invincible set of blockers in front of him. I'm thinking the league wanted to keep downfield as a competition between receivers and defensive backs on passing plays.

Does anyone know if my guess is correct? Or did the league have some other reason for doing it this way.

While I do not have an official answer for you, my guesses would be ..

1) to prevent confusion as to who are eligible receivers to the defense
2) to prevent congestion of players down the field making it much harder for officials to determine things like pass interference, holding, fumbles, incompletions, etc.