What is Pass Interference
A penalty called when a defender illegally impedes a receiver's ability to catch a forward pass.
Pass interference is a penalty in American football called when a defender illegally prevents a receiver from catching a forward pass. It is one of the most significant penalties in the game, often resulting in large yardage gains for the offense and can directly change the outcome of a game.
What Constitutes Pass Interference
Pass interference is called when a defender makes contact with a receiver before the ball arrives in a way that disrupts the receiver's ability to make a catch. Common examples include:
- Grabbing or holding a receiver's arms or jersey before the ball arrives
- Pushing off or impeding a receiver's route
- Turning the receiver before the ball gets there
- Making a play on the receiver instead of the ball
Key principle: contact is allowed before the ball is in the air and within five yards of the line of scrimmage (the chuck rule / illegal contact). Once the ball is in the air, defenders must play the ball, not the receiver.
Offensive Pass Interference
Pass interference can also be called on the offense if a receiver illegally pushes off a defender to gain separation. Offensive pass interference results in a 10-yard penalty and a loss of down.
Defensive Pass Interference Penalty
Defensive pass interference is a spot foul in the NFL — meaning the ball is placed at the spot of the foul. On a 40-yard pass play, this results in a 40-yard gain for the offense, making it one of the most consequential penalties in the game. In college football, defensive pass interference is capped at a 15-yard penalty.
Controversy
Pass interference is one of the most debated calls in football. Because it involves judgment by officials, inconsistent enforcement is common. The NFL experimented with pass interference replay review in 2019 following a particularly famous non-call in an NFC Championship game, but ultimately abandoned the policy after one season due to continued controversy.