Offside Penalty in Football

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What is an Offside Penalty?

An Offside Penalty is called when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage as the ball is being snapped. Not to be confused with Encroachment, where a defensive player crosses over the line of scrimmage and touches a player before the ball is snapped. On the offensive end, if a player moves before the ball is snapped the penalty is a False Start.

Number of Yards

The penalty in both the NFL and College Football is 5 yards.

The Signal

When signaling the Offside penalty the referee will place both hands on their hips.