In
, there are several different rulings for encroachment:
# In the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
, encroachment occurs when, before the snap, a defensive player illegally crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with an opponent or has a clear path to the quarterback. Play is immediately stopped, just as it is with a
false start
In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can resu ...
(this violation would be an
offside penalty in the NCAA).
# In high school, encroachment includes any crossing of the neutral zone by the defense, whether contact is made or not. It is similar to
offside except when it occurs, the play is not allowed to begin. Like offside violations, the violating team is penalized five yards.
# In the NCAA, an encroachment penalty is called, when there is an offensive player beyond the line of scrimmage after the snapper touching the ball. There is no encroachment for defensive players in college football.
The
head linesman
In gridiron football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.
During professional and most college football games, seven officials operate on the field. Since 2015, Division I ...
has the duty of watching out for encroachment and other similar infractions, and the
line judge assists in this process.
See also
*
Offside (American football)
Offside is a minor penalty (American football), foul in gridiron football caused when a player crosses the line of scrimmage ahead of the snap (gridiron football), snap of the ball. The penalty associated with the infraction is the advancing of ...
References
{{Gridiron football penalties
Gridiron football penalties