# Football penalty question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 26, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890 "2011-06-26T04:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/1 "2011-06-26T04:13:24Z")
Can a football team be assessed a penalty for something a player does to another player of his own team? ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/2 "2011-06-26T04:41:37Z")
Off the top of my head: Helping a player into the end zone, using a player as a launching pad to jump higher to block a kick and the QB throwing it to a ineligible receiver. I’m sure there are more ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/3 "2011-06-26T04:48:37Z")
Moving to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/4 "2011-06-26T04:55:46Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > Off the top of my head: Helping a player into the end zone, using a player as a launching pad to jump higher to block a kick and the QB throwing it to a ineligible receiver. I’m sure there are more How about this: After breaking a series of tackle attempts the ball carrier unknowingly runs the wrong way down the field. The only way to avoid disaster is for his own teammates to tackle him. During the tackle one of his own team mates pulls his face mask. Would the face-mask penalty be called? ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/5 "2011-06-26T05:12:51Z")
I imagine if you got into a fight with your teammate, they could call unsportsmanlike conduct. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/6 "2011-06-26T05:40:38Z")
Yeah, absolutely. Throw a punch at one of your own guys, here come the flags and ejections. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/7 "2011-06-26T06:01:16Z")
I am not a referee, but I’m 99.9%\* sure penalties like the holding, clipping, and grabbing the facemask cannot be assessed on teammates. - I have never seen it, but I have also never read the rule book. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/8 "2011-06-26T07:05:07Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > I am not a referee, but I’m 99.9%\* sure penalties like the holding, clipping, and grabbing the facemask cannot be assessed on teammates. > > - I have never seen it, but I have also never read the rule book. I haven’t read it either, but the rules for a penalty like holding or clipping probably say something to the effect of holding or clipping an “opposing player.” However, what about penalties that protect the “ball carrier” (e.g., facemask, horsecollar tackle)? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/9 "2011-06-26T15:59:50Z")
Don’t know about penalties but I am pretty sure you will be fined by the head Coach if you punch a teammate (or even worse, injure them intentionally). ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/10 "2011-06-26T21:34:26Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > How about this: > > After breaking a series of tackle attempts the ball carrier unknowingly runs the wrong way down the field. The only way to avoid disaster is for his own teammates to tackle him. During the tackle one of his own team mates pulls his face mask. > > Would the face-mask penalty be called? And suppose it were called. Which direction do you step it off – against the tackler or for the tacklee? ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/11 "2011-06-27T03:48:31Z")
How about an excessive celebration penalty wherein you score a touchdown but dipshit teammate goes bonkers doing that stupid kowtow thing, whooping it up, jumping around…you know, celebrating excessively. I could see an official ringing him up. Well it sort of ties in with the OP. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/12 "2011-06-27T04:17:58Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > And suppose it were called. Which direction do you step it off – against the tackler or for the tacklee? Penalties in football are assessed against the team. But the question remains: would it be a penalty in the first place? Can you facemask your own teammate in football? ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-penalty-question/586890/13 "2011-06-27T07:32:42Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > But the question remains: would it be a penalty in the first place? Can you face mask your own teammate in football? Not according to [the letter of the law.](http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/8759/nfl-offers-context-of-face-mask-ruling)[highlighted] > [@](#): > > Rule 12, Section 2, Article 5 of the NFL Rule Book (page 81) states that “no player shall twist, turn, or pull the face mask **of an opponent** in any direction.” However, it might be a foul for [assisting a teammate.](http://www.angelfire.com/ia3/coltsnflrules/5.htm#useofhands) > [@](#): > > 1. No player on offense may assist a runner except by blocking for him. There shall be no interlocking interference. Stopping a teammate from running the wrong way by using your body or hands is assisting that player. What if a teammate just layed down in front of the ball carrier, causing him to trip?