A deep pass sails downfield. The receiver and the defender tangle up. The ball falls incomplete, and then a yellow flag flies. Half the room cheers, half the room groans, and everyone has an opinion. Welcome to pass interference, the most argued call in football.
What Is Pass Interference?
Pass interference is illegal contact that keeps a player from having a fair chance to catch a pass. Once the ball is thrown, both the receiver and the defender have an equal right to go after it. Neither one can push, grab, hook, or block the other to get there first.
The rule applies from the moment the ball is thrown until it's touched. Contact before the throw falls under different penalties, like defensive holding or illegal contact.
Defensive Pass Interference
This is the big one. Defensive pass interference, or DPI, happens when a defender illegally stops a receiver from catching the ball. Common examples include:
- Grabbing or pulling the receiver's arm or jersey
- Pushing the receiver before the ball arrives
- Cutting in front of the receiver without trying to play the ball
- Tackling or wrapping up the receiver early
Why One Flag Can Move the Ball 40 Yards
DPI is a spot foul. The offense gets the ball where the foul happened, plus an automatic first down. On a deep pass, that can mean 40 yards or more from a single flag. If the foul happens in the end zone, the ball is placed at the 1-yard line. That's why DPI can swing an entire game.
Offensive Pass Interference
Receivers can commit pass interference too. Offensive pass interference, or OPI, usually means pushing off a defender to get open or blocking a defender downfield before the ball is caught. The penalty is 10 yards from the previous spot.
What's Legal
Not every bump is a foul. These are generally allowed:
- Incidental contact when both players are clearly going for the ball
- A defender making a real attempt to catch or knock away the pass
- Contact after the ball has already been touched
- Contact on a pass that's clearly uncatchable
The "Was That PI?" Game-Day Checklist
- Was the ball in the air? If not, it's a different penalty.
- Was the pass catchable? If it sailed way out of reach, it's usually not a foul.
- Did either player play the ball? Going for the ball is legal. Going only for the player isn't.
- Did the contact change the play? Big pulls, pushes, and grabs get flagged. Light hand fighting usually doesn't.
Keep Learning the Game
Want more football basics? Read what 3rd-and-long means, our guide to NFL overtime rules, and NFL jersey numbers explained.
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