Module 10 - Defense: Penalties & Situations

In this module, we will cover:

1. Defensive Penalties: 5-Yard Assessment

2. Tackling: Non-Negotiable Penalty

3. Spot Foul - Pass Interference

• Next Module: Module 11 - Other Key Situations

• Previous Module: Module 9 - Offense: Penalties & Situations

• See All Referee Training Modules

If you have any questions, please email training@nextlevelsports.com.

0:01 What's up next level refs? We're back at it with another module here for our referee training materials. Again, we're also inviting a lot of our student coaches to watch this video as well, as we'll be covering defensive penalties and situations here in module 10 of our referee trainings.

0:18 Okay, so let's start off. All defensive penalties are 5 yards forward, repeat the down, unless—looking here at the top right—if the yardage gained is enough for a first.

0:36 So if any of these penalties happen on the 23, the ball moves up to the 18, first down. Also, let all these plays run out, because the offense has the ability to decline the penalty if the yardage gained is better than the penalty outcome.

0:53 Okay, so with that said, here are our defensive penalties that we all need to be aware of, starting with our non-negotiable defensive penalty.

1:00 Tackling. If you, the referee, see any defensive player tackle an offensive ball carrier to the ground, push somebody out of bounds, or anything that you think is too physical out there, throw the flag.

1:14 This is the number one thing that we get emailed for by upset parents: Next Level is not a safe program because they allow too much physicality.

1:23 If you see tackling, and on the same side with offense, if you see blocking, you have to throw these flags. Show the parents, show the players, that safety comes first, and we’re guarding it, and we’re policing it at all times.

1:34 Okay? Other penalties to be aware of: Defensive holding. This is like, kind of like illegal contact—grabbing the shirt, pulling it, wrapping a player. Those are all 5-yard penalties forward, repeat the down, unless it’s enough for a first.

1:44 Defensive offsides. Again, we covered this in the blitzing section. If I’m a defender lined up at one, two, or three yards from the line of scrimmage and cross the line before the quarterback hands it off or laterals it— that’s defensive offsides.

2:00 Okay? Treat it like illegal blitz. Teach the young kids; sometimes it’s hard for them to understand that.

2:07 And then we also have illegal blitz and roughing the quarterback. Again, if my defender is not at seven yards when he does blitz, that’s an illegal blitz.

2:16 And roughing the quarterback. Again, when you blitz, the only thing you can do is grab the flags. You can’t strip the ball, you can’t bat the ball, etc. Very clear here. Not a lot of penalties on defense if the yardage gained is more than the penalty yardage.

2:31 The offense can decline it. So again, don’t blow the whistle prematurely. Let the play finish. Announce the penalty. Give the offense the choice to either accept it or decline it.

2:40 And always throw the tackling penalty.

2:51 Side note, our one anomaly at Next Level is defensive pass interference. We treat it just like the NFL.

3:01 It’s a spot foul. So if I’m on the 15 and a pass interference happens in the end zone, it’s going to be first down and goal from the 1-yard line. If I’m at the 40 and I throw a 10-yard in route and there’s a collision, defensive pass interference at the 20-yard line, first down at the 15-yard line, first down—wherever it happens, auto first down from the spot of the foul.

3:17 If it’s egregious, if it’s intentional, give a verbal warning to the defender: "Hey, we can’t do that. Stay on your feet. Don’t collide with the wide receiver."

3:22 That’s it for defense. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at training@nextlevelsports.com.