Press coverage happens at every level in football. It’s a way to slow down receivers and throw off the quarterback’s timing.
Is it illegal to make contact with wide receivers past 5 yards? Per the NFL rulebook, defenders may only make contact with a receiver within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. However, defenders in college and high school may contact a receiver as long as the ball is not in the air.
So in college/high school, teams can hit wide receivers wherever on the field? Well, it depends. Check out our video and description below to better understand the rule.
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This week we have a defensive play that includes making contact with wide receivers. This play differs from what the NFL deems legal, and the NCAA allows. Let’s take a look at what’s happening above!
In this clip, we can see a receiver crossing the middle of the field a little over 5 yards. The receiver is looking back at the football, waiting for the pass. It is important to note that the ball has not been thrown yet.
The linebacker sees the receiver crossing over the middle and puts him on the ground as the play progresses. The receiver eventually gets up and continues his route as the quarterback scrambles for a gain of 4.
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Illegal contact is when any defensive player makes contact with a wide receiver before the ball is thrown. The rule differs per level of play.
The NCAA rule states that contact may be made with a receiver if the ball isn’t in the air. If the quarterback had thrown the ball, then the contact was made, it would be a pass interference call.
Illegal Contact and Pass Interference ARTICLE 8. a. During a down in which a legal forward pass crosses the neutral zone, illegal contact by Team A and Team B players is prohibited from the time the ball is snapped until it is touched by any player or an official (A.R. 7-3-8-II). b. Offensive pass interference is contact by a Team A player beyond the neutral zone that interferes with a Team B player during a legal forward pass play in which the forward pass crosses the neutral zone. It is the responsibility of the offensive player to avoid the opponents. It is not offensive pass interference (A.R. 7-3-8-IV, V, X, XV and XVI):
1. When, after the snap, a Team A ineligible player immediately charges and contacts an opponent at a point not more than one yard beyond the neutral zone and maintains the contact for no more than three yards beyond the neutral zone. (A.R. 7-3-10-II)
2. When two or more eligible players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to reach, catch or bat the pass. Eligible players of either team have equal rights to the ball (A.R. 7-3-8-IX).
3. When the pass is in flight and two or more eligible players are in the area where they might receive or intercept the pass and an offensive player in that area impedes an opponent, and the pass is not catchable.
Illegal Contact Penalty (NFL & College)
This rule differs tremendously from the NFL rule. In the NFL, players cannot touch receivers past 5 yards. This is often referred to as the “Mel Blount Rule” (Mel Blount was a famous corner for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was notorious for jamming and punishing wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. Learn more about Mel Blount and the 5-yard contact rule in the NFL here.
Younger players often confuse this rule with the NFL rule – which is common because more players watch NFL Sunday games rather than Saturday college games.
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How Come Players Don’t Make Contact All The Way Down The Field?
This is a common question – “If you can make contact anywhere on the field, why don’t teams always jam receivers wherever they go?”.
Teams don’t jam at the line of scrimmage consistently for a few reasons.
Making contact with wide receivers is hard to do, especially consistently.
Jamming faster players (especially in the slot) can put linebackers or nickel back’s out of position.
Risk of penalty from both holding or pass interference if the ball is thrown quickly
Making contact with wide receivers is hard to do, especially consistently.
Playing press on receivers requires a particular skill set, including quick/powerful hands and fast feet. Cornerbacks are often the position equipped with this skillset and do it consistently.
Especially in the spread passing era, chasing players 30-40 yards downfield every play can tire defensive backs rapidly. Playing zone coverage gives players a better chance to rally to the football and be included in every play.
Jamming faster players (especially in the slot) can put linebackers or nickel back’s out of position.
Linebackers covering a speedy slot receiver can be a matchup nightmare. This is the exact reason the “nickel back” was born, for the ability to get an extra defensive back on the field to help neutralize the passing attack.
Corners often contact wide receivers from the top of numbers to the sidelines ( 9 yards of space to work with). When a linebacker or nickel back has to jam a receiver in the slot, it doubles the space they have to cover, making it more difficult.
Risk of penalty from both holding or pass interference if the ball is thrown quickly
Press coverage from anywhere on the field is often high risk, high reward. It helps disrupt timing and can stall receivers from getting into their route. Couple this technique with a blitz, and you’ve got a healthy combination.
Couple this with consistent play and no pressure. It could often turn into a penalty nightmare. Pass interference calls and holding calls are frequent calls from consistent man coverage.
Legal Contact With Wide Receivers
In college, making contact with a wide receiver is legal – ONLY when the ball is still in the quarterback’s hands. In the clip above, the quarterback still has the ball in his hands.
For this reason alone, the linebacker’s contact with the wide receiver is legal, and no flag was thrown on this particular play.
Keep Learning
Below are articles to help you learn more about the rules of football.
Rules Of American Football – Beginner’s Guide
What Is A Flag In Football? Penalty Flags Explained
Can A Football Game End On A Penalty?
Football Overtime Rules: NFL Vs. College/High School
Understanding the 5 Yard Contact Rule In The NFL
Learn Offsides, Neutral Zone Infraction, and Encroachment
Complete Guide To Referee Signals In American Football
What Is A Safety In Football? Explained
A penalty should have been called here, unnecessary roughness. Contacting a wide receiver is legal, but not when it’s malicious or leading with the head.
Big hits happen – it’s football. But hits like this when a player leads with their head are dangerous. No flag was thrown on this play, although it could have been.
What are your thoughts? Do you think something else should have been called in this situation, or do you think everything was legal?
Note: If a defender contacts a receiver within the five-yard zone of the line of scrimmage, loses contact, and then contacts him again within the five-yard zone, it is a foul for illegal contact.
Defensive backs and linebackers cannot contact a receiver down the field. The NFL is a unique league that doesn't allow this type of contact to receivers. What is the 5 yard illegal contact rule? The 5-yard contact rule in the NFL allows defensive backs to make contact with wide receivers at or less than 5 yards.
Just like pass interference vs holding, when comparing pass interference vs illegal contact it comes down to this: pass interference occurs when the ball is in the air, while illegal contact is a pre-pass penalty.
The NFL says that ineligible receivers are players who aren't lined up on either end of the line, or at least one yard behind the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. Ineligible receivers are also any players who wear numbers 50 through 79 on their jersey.
In 1978, the NFL further freed up receivers with the illegal contact rule, restricting contact beyond 5 yards downfield. And it loosened the interpretations of holding by offensive linemen by giving them permission to extend their arms and open their hands on pass plays.
Players are allowed to touch each other during a football match; otherwise, many of the ordinary things we're used to seeing on a soccer field would not be able to happen, and the game would constantly be stopping and restarting. However, that doesn't mean that contact is always a good thing.
Placing two hands on the player. Placing an extended arm bar on the player. Placing and keeping a hand on the player. Contacting the player more than once with the same hand or alternating hands.
Pass interference is called if the defensive player contacts the offensive player while he is trying to catch the pass, unless the defender has turned his head to face the oncoming pass and is attempting to intercept it. Accidental, glancing contact is not penalized.
In basketball, a personal foul is a breach of the rules that concerns illegal personal contact with an opponent. It is the most common type of foul in basketball.
In basketball, a foul refers to illegal personal contact or unsportsmanlike conduct on the court or sidelines of a game. Most player fouls involve contact that impedes an opposing player's gameplay.
In American football, an unfair act is a foul that can be called when a player or team commits a flagrant and obviously illegal act that has a major impact on the game, and from which, if additional penalties were not enforced, the offending team would gain an advantage.
There are some instances where an eligible receiver will become ineligible in the middle of the play. If these players end up being the first player to touch the ball after they become ineligible, the offense will receive an "illegal touching penalty".
An illegal sport is any sport that is illegal in one or more jurisdictions due to the violent or dangerous nature of the sport. Well-known illegal sports, such as co*ckfighting and dogfighting, are barred on the basis of animal abuse.
Think of a boxer's jab as being the best prescription for pass protection — an offensive lineman just uses both hands to jab. Your “punch” is going to keep the defender's distance away long enough for your quarterback to get rid of the ball.
Yes, you absolutely can wear contact lenses while playing sports. In fact, eye doctors recommend contact lenses because they are safer. Think about it. The lenses in eyeglasses can break and cause eye injuries.
These rules for the early form of football, which has since transformed into today's modern game, forbade physical contact, outlawing tripping opponents and touching the ball with your hands. So in those early days, it might have been considered to be a non-contact sport.
Non-contact sports are those where participants should have no possible means of touching, such as sprinting, swimming, darts or snooker, where players use separate lanes or take turns of play.
Down by contact: When a player with possession of the ball is made to touch the ground (other than hands or feet) by a defensive player; for example, if the ball-carrier slips and falls, he can get up and continue, but if he was pushed by a defensive player, he is said to be down by contact and the play is dead.
Examples: boxing, ice hockey, football, lacrosse. In contact sports, the person is constantly making contact with other people or objects, but with less force than in collision sports.
A personal foul is any illegal physical contact by a player.
For example, pushing, grabbing, hitting, and tripping are all considered personal fouls. Personal fouls can be committed by both players on offense or defense, although there are typically more defensive fouls in a game than offensive fouls.
This is applied after a foul where there is contact by the defense using the hands making illegal contact with an opponent by making contact with the hand on the opponents hand, which could include making contact to the opponents hand while it is in contact with the ball on a shot or while dribbling, as an example.
According to recent statistics, the five most commonly-called penalties in the NFL are offensive holding, false starts, defensive pass interference, defensive holding, and unnecessary roughness.
Defensive holding (5 yards, automatic first down) - A defensive player may not tackle, hold, or throw down an offensive player other than the ball carrier. This penalty is often called on defensive backs who impede the progress of a receiver. If they do this before the ball is thrown, a holding penalty is called.
The official NCAA rule book in 1950 stated, "The runner shall not grasp, or be pulled by, any teammate, nor shall any teammate push the runner or lift him from the ground while the ball is in play.
Per the NFL Rulebook, illegal contact is defined as prohibited contact by a defender when the quarterback still has the ball in the pocket. This contact is a five-yard penalty against the defense and results in an automatic first down for the opposing offense.
So, while you can push a receiver out of bounds if the quarterback has already left the pocket, you could not grab the receiver and throw him out of bounds, since holding has no pocket exception. You could not do either after the ball has been thrown.
Blocking is illegal personal contact, which impedes the progress of an opponent. Charging is illegal personal contact caused by pushing or moving into an opponent's torso.
Blocking- Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not establishing position in time to prevent an opponent's drive to the basket.
17. Holding is illegal personal contact with an opponent, which interferes with his or her freedom of movement. 18. Kicking the ball is when the defense intentionally strikes the ball with the knee or any part of the leg or foot below the knee.
Examples include verbal abuse or taunting of an opponent or a game official, an excessive celebration following a significant play, or feigning injury.
Examples of unsportsmanlike conduct that will not be tolerated are as follows: Antagonizing, taunting or intimidating players on another team. Showing disrespect to opposing players, officials and to players on their own team. Hassling officials with protests after calls.
It is a foul if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent. Penalty: Loss of 15 yards. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic first down. The player may be disqualified.
In 2020, the NFL told the refs to focus on "clear and obvious" penalties in an effort to reduce the overall number of penalties. In 2021 they told referees to crack down on taunting, sucking more fun out of the game that millions of people love. And now this year they want refs to focus on illegal contact.
Yes, you absolutely can wear contact lenses while playing sports. In fact, eye doctors recommend contact lenses because they are safer. Think about it. The lenses in eyeglasses can break and cause eye injuries.
Helmet-to-helmet collisions are occurrences in gridiron football when two players' football helmets make head-to-head contact with a high degree of force. Intentionally causing a helmet-to-helmet collision is a penalty in most football leagues, including many high school leagues.
However, at any time after the change of possession, it is a foul if: an opponent forcibly hits the quarterback's head or neck area with his helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder. if an opponent lowers his head and makes forcible contact with any part of his helmet against any part of the passer's body.
The one-helmet rule was set in 2013, requiring players to wear the same helmet for practice and play. This rule was created, concerning the endangerment of players suffering from concussions and other play-related injuries. Switching helmets during the season could cause a compromise in safety for players.
What are some of the rarest penalties ever called in an NFL game? The “Palpably Unfair Act” rule, which allows a team to be awarded a touchdown after consultation by the officials is the rarest, as it's never actually been called yet in an NFL game (though there have been a few such calls in the NCAA game).
In the 2021 season, the largest fine given to a player for on-field conduct was a $64,456 fine delivered to Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill for fighting in a game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
— -- NFL players no longer can wear exposed "hoodies" over their shoulder pads, and assistant coaches are now expressly prohibited from entering the field of play, following a series of adjustments that will appear in the 2016 edition of the NFL rulebook.
All players must tuck in their jerseys. They cannot wear bandannas. Stockings must be white from the top of the shoe to midcalf and an approved team color from midcalf to the bottom of the pant leg, which must be pulled down below the knee.
At the time, there was no way to remove a helmet's shield without taking the entire helmet off — and medical staff didn't want to do that, for fear of worsening any neck or head injuries. Today, only players who have received a special medical exemption from the league are permitted to wear dark visors.
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