What is the most common penalty in the NFL?
Asked by: Sedrick Hauck DDS | Last update: April 16, 2026Score: 4.1/5 (25 votes)
The most common penalty in the NFL is Offensive Holding, followed closely by False Start, with both making up over a third of all flags, as offensive linemen frequently grab defenders to prevent tackles, and linemen sometimes move prematurely to gain an advantage. Defensive Holding and Unnecessary Roughness also rank high, showing penalties occur frequently on both offense and defense, but holding penalties dominate the statistics.
What is the most common penalty in NFL football?
The top 3 penalties in football are a false start, offsides, and offensive holding, according to RefrSports.com. The record for the most penalties in an NFL game was 37 when the Bears played the Browns in 1952. The teams combined for 374 yards of penalties.
What is rule 17 in the NFL?
NFL Rule 17 deals with "Unfair Acts" and gives the Commissioner broad power to investigate and take action (like overturning results or replaying parts of games) in extraordinary situations that unfairly affect a game's outcome, though it has never been officially invoked to alter a game's result, despite fan and media calls for it in controversial moments, such as recent ones involving the Buffalo Bills.
What is the rarest penalty in the NFL?
The rarest NFL penalty is the "Palpably Unfair Act," which allows the referee to award a touchdown or take other equitable action for blatant unfair play, though it has never been officially called in an NFL game, with a 2025 NFC Championship game nearly seeing it threatened. Other extremely rare penalties include Illegal Wedge, called only a few times, and penalties for actions like a player illegally assisting a runner (last seen in 1991) or an Invalid Fair Catch signal after the ball hits the ground.
What is the biggest fine in the NFL?
The biggest NFL fines involve team-wide sanctions, with Dan Snyder's Washington Commanders facing a $60 million penalty for financial misconduct and the Washington Football Team fined $10 million for workplace culture issues; for individuals, Deshaun Watson received a record $5 million player fine as part of his suspension, while coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for Spygate, the largest coach fine ever at the time, alongside other major team penalties.
NFL Penalties Explained #1: Pre-Snap Penalties
Did Travis Kelce get fined for dunking?
Yes, Travis Kelce was fined by the NFL for dunking the football over the crossbar in a tribute to Tony Gonzalez after scoring a touchdown on Christmas Day 2024, receiving a penalty and a fine of over $14,000 for the unsportsmanlike conduct celebration. The NFL banned goalpost dunks in 2013 after Jimmy Graham's dunk caused a delay, but Gonzalez encouraged Kelce to do it, even offering to pay the fine, which Kelce initially declined.
What team went 17/0 in the NFL?
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only NFL team to go 17-0 in a season, completing the league's only perfect season by winning all regular season games (14-0) and all playoff games, culminating in a Super Bowl VII victory. While other teams, like the 2007 Patriots, have had perfect regular seasons, the Dolphins remain unique for winning the Super Bowl without a single loss, a feat made more remarkable as they finished 17-0 in a shorter season before the league expanded to 17 regular season games.
Is number 69 allowed in football?
Yes, you can have the number 69 in football, especially in the NFL, as rules expanded to allow numbers 0-99 for most positions, though traditionally it's worn by offensive or defensive linemen (like guards, tackles, or defensive tackles) due to older rules, with famous examples like Jared Allen and recent players like Cory Durden wearing it.
What's the craziest comeback in football history?
The craziest comebacks in football history often involve massive deficits overcome in dramatic fashion, with the Minnesota Vikings' 33-point comeback against the Colts (NFL, 2022) being the largest in NFL history, while European football sees stunners like Barcelona's 'Remontada' (4-0 deficit to PSG) and Manchester United's 1999 Champions League Final win (0-1 to 2-1 vs Bayern). These games feature incredible shifts in momentum, often in the final minutes or overtime, defying all odds and becoming legendary tales.
What is an NFL Waterboy's salary?
NFL waterboys (often part of the equipment/training staff) can earn around $50,000 to $53,000 per season, sometimes more, with potential for higher pay based on experience and team, though it varies, with some reporting $3,000+ per game. The role is more than just water, involving sideline setup, gear, and acting as an apprenticeship for athletic training, offering valuable experience and perks like travel.
What is rule 10 in football?
Law 10: Determining the Outcome of a Match
A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no offence has been committed by the team scoring the goal.
Have NFL refs ever awarded a score?
Those are the two circumstances in which referees are permitted to award a score. As far as the Eagles-Commanders game, the latter was the instance the officials were facing—repeated and successive fouls committed by Washington to prevent Philadelphia from scoring.
Has any QB thrown for 600 yards in the game?
Yes, quarterbacks have thrown for over 600 yards in a game, but primarily in college (FBS) and high school football; in the NFL, no quarterback has reached 600 yards in a regulation game, though several have surpassed 500 yards, with the record held by Norm Van Brocklin at 554 yards in 1951, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. In college, players like North Texas's Drew Mestemaker (608 yards in 2025) and LSU's Jayden Daniels (606 yards in 2023) have achieved this milestone, showing it's more common at lower levels.
What's the biggest NFL blowout ever?
The biggest blowout in NFL history is the 1940 NFL Championship game where the Chicago Bears crushed the Washington Redskins 73-0, a record margin that remains unmatched, showcasing unprecedented dominance in a single game, especially in a championship contest.
Can NFL players give footballs to fans?
Now, it is true that a player can be fined over $1, 000 for throwing a ball into the stands but the important word in that rule is throw because the NFL doesn't actually find players who simply hand the ball to a fan in the front row.
What is the rarest rule in the NFL?
Some of the weirdest NFL rules involve the "Fair Catch Kick" (a potential 3-point field goal attempt after a fair catch), the "Holy Roller Rule" (restricting who can recover a late-game fumble), strict enforcement of player attire (no bandanas, specific sock lengths), and the ability for the league to step in for "unfair acts" via Rule 17, allowing commissioner intervention for egregious offenses, though rarely used.
Has there ever been a 3peat in the NFL?
Yes, the Green Bay Packers are the only NFL team to three-peat, achieving it twice: once from 1929-1931 (pre-Super Bowl) and again from 1965-1967 (including the first two Super Bowls). However, no team has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls, though several have tried, like the recent Kansas City Chiefs.
Was there ever a 100 point game in football?
Yes, football teams have scored 100 points, especially in high school and early college football, but it's extremely rare in modern professional (NFL) or major college games, with the closest being 73 points by the Chicago Bears in the 1940 NFL Championship, though some college games saw 200+ points in the early 20th century. The trend in professional and modern college football discourages such massive score differentials, focusing more on combined scores over 100.
Can a QB wear 88?
All players must wear numerals on their jerseys in accordance with Rule 5, Section 3, Article 3c (see NOTE 1), and such numerals must be by playing position as follows: quarterbacks, punters, and placekickers, 1-19 (and 10-19 for wide receivers if 80-89 are all otherwise assigned); running backs and defensive backs, 20 ...
Can you wear 99 in the NFL?
Defensive linemen allowed to wear 90-99; centers allowed to wear 60-79.
Why is 00 banned in the NFL?
Following the NFL number standardization of 1973, numbers 0 and 00 were no longer eligible to be issued by teams. Prior to the 1973 standardization, some players had made occasional use of both 0 and 00.
Has an 8 8 team ever won a Super Bowl?
No, an 8-8 NFL team has never won the Super Bowl; the lowest regular season record for a Super Bowl winner belongs to the 2011 New York Giants (9-7), though teams with mediocre regular seasons have made deep playoff runs, proving that regular season records aren't everything for championship success.
Was there ever a 3-0 NFL game?
Yes, NFL games have ended 3-0, with the most recent being the Minnesota Vikings beating the Las Vegas Raiders on December 10, 2023, and it's the lowest possible score in the Super Bowl era, occurring seven times in total, including games in 1971, 1977, 1979, 1982 (the "Snowplow Game"), 1993, and 2007.
What made the '72 Dolphins so special?
The 1972 Miami Dolphins finished 17-0 and won Super Bowl VII over the Washington Redskins. The '72 Dolphins have remained the only NFL team to complete an entire season undefeated. That season, the team ranked first in the NFL in total offense, total defense, scoring offense and scoring defense.