In order to get a good jump off the ball and disrupt the timing of the offense, sometimes we see defensive players get too eager and commit a penalty by jumping early. Each of these penalties is defensive penalties and they are most commonly assessed to the defensive linemen. Here we will explore the differences between the 3 penalties.
What Is Offsides?
Offsides are one of the most common, pre-snap defensive penalties between younger and older players. It can be easily fixed just through awareness of both your stance and where the ball is.
Offsides, as identified in the NFL rulebook is:
A player is offside when any part of his body is in or beyond the neutral zone or beyond a restraining line when the ball is put in play.
Penalty for being offside: Loss of five yards.
This happens mostly to defensive ends, as they don't account for their hand or head, or they misjudge the line of scrimmage because the tackles are allowed to be veered off the line of scrimmage.
When in doubt, find a yard marker and line up a full yard behind the line of scrimmage.
What Is A Neutral Zone Infraction?
The neutral zone infraction mostly deals with players who invade the "neutral zone", which is the 6 inches of space between the ball and the defender. This call is mostly seen with interior defensive lineman.
As defined by the NFL rulebook:
It is a Neutral Zone Infraction when:
1. a defender moves beyond the neutral zone prior to the snap and is parallel to or beyond an offensive lineman, with an unimpeded path to the quarterback or kicker, even though no contact is made by a blocker; officials are to blow their whistles immediately
2. a defender enters the neutral zone prior to the snap, causing the offensive player(s) in close proximity (including a quarterback who is under center) to react (move) immediately to protect himself (themselves) against impending contact; officials are to blow their whistles immediately. If there is no immediate reaction by the offensive player(s) in close proximity, and the defensive player returns to a legal position prior to the snap without contacting an opponent, there is no foul. A flexed or split receiver is considered to be in close proximity if he is lined up on the side of the ball on which the violation occurs; other offensive players are considered to be in close proximity if they are within two-and-one-half positions of the defender who enters the neutral zone. If the defender is directly over the center, a quarterback under center, the center, and the guards and tackles on both sides of the center are considered to be within close proximity; if the defender is in a gap, the two offensive players on either side of the gap are considered to be within close proximity (including a quarterback under center, if applicable)
3. a player, after he has received a warning, enters into the neutral zone. It is a foul, even if he returns to a legal position prior to the snap without contacting an opponent or causing a reaction (movement) by an offensive player in close proximity.
Penalty: For Neutral Zone Infraction: Loss of five yards from the line of scrimmage. Foul is enforced prior to the snap.
A real life example of the neutral zone infraction is when a defensive player will anticipate a snap count, causing an offensive player to move. The defense will always get called for neutral zone infraction before they are able to get back.
What Is Encroachment?
From the NFL rulebook:
It is Encroachment if a defensive player enters the neutral zone and contacts an offensive player or the ball prior to the snap, or if he interferes with the ball during the snap. The play is dead immediately.
Penalty for encroachment: Loss of five yards from the line of scrimmage. The foul is enforced prior to the snap.
An example of encroachment in a real-life game is when a player is tricked with a hard count, loses balances, and touches an offensive player/football. The whistle is blown immediately and a 5-yard penalty is assessed for Encroachment.
Difference Between Each Penalty
How do I distinguish between offsides, neutral zone infraction and encroachment? We've created this short description of each penalty to help you determine each penalty:
Offsides - Lining up over the line of scrimmage, past the football
Neutral Zone Infraction - Similar to offsides, but happens on the interior defensive line, with a clear path to the quarterback or the kicker
Encroachment - Making contact with an offensive player or the football before the ball is successfully snapped
How To Avoid Getting Pre-Snap Penalties
As a defensive lineman, we recommend this pre-snap checklist to ensure that you're lined up properly.
During practice, have a teammate or coach check your stance in relation to the football and make sure everything checks out. Get a "feel" for being onside, as you'll do it more than 40+ times in a game.
