Illegal Motion Penalty in Football

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What is an Illegal Motion Penalty?

An Illegal Motion Penalty is called when an offensive player is in motion and moving forward at the time of the snap.

Number of Yards

There is a 5 yard penalty in both the NFL and College Football.

The Signal

When signaling the Illegal Motion penalty the referee will place one arm at chest level with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. The palm will be open and down and the referee will move the forearm forward and back.