Roughing the Kicker Penalty in Football
What is a Roughing the Kicker Penalty?
A Roughing the Kicker penalty is called when a defensive player hits/tackles the kicker as they miss an attempt to block a kick. The penalty was put into place as a safety measure to protect the defenseless kicker.
Number of Yards
The penalty for Roughing the Kicker is 15 yards and an automatic first down in the the NFL and College Football.
The Signal
When signaling the Roughing the Kicker penalty the referee raises both arms above the head and strike one wrist against the other. Following that they will kick their leg forward.