# Football holding penalty question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-holding-penalty-question/612072>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [February 7, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-holding-penalty-question/612072 "2012-02-07T15:15:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-holding-penalty-question/612072/21 "2012-02-11T01:16:01Z")

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College for the longest time was 10 yards from the spot of the foul always for holding, even behind the line of scrimmage.

Which means sometimes you’d often see 15+ yard effective holding penalties in college.

A few years back, they changed it to match what the pros do.

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**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-holding-penalty-question/612072/22 "2012-02-11T01:24:19Z")

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> [@OldGuy](#):
>
> I’m pretty sure it’s never been 5 yards in my lifetime.

…and he’s an old guy. hehheh.

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