Automatic First Downs - 2009 to Present

This page shows all penalties that resulted in an automatic first down based on the type of penalty. There are many additional penalties that based on the penalty yardage and distance remaining resulted in a first down.

"3rd & Long" is 3rd down and 6 or more yards. "Desperation" is 3rd and 10 or more or 4th and 6 or more. "Yardage Mitigated" is the total yardage the team had left to get a first down when the flag was thrown granting a gratis first down. Remember: There are more first down plays than 2nd down plays, more 2nd down plays than 3rd, and so on.

Beneficiary means the team benefitted from the penalty. Declined and Offsetting penalties are not shown in this table. Penalties occurring on special teams are not included.

The table below contains the following penalties: Defensive Pass Interference (4213), Defensive Holding (3054), Roughing the Passer (1690), Illegal Contact (1015), Illegal Use of Hands (885), Face Mask (15 Yards) (771), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (339), Horse Collar Tackle (254), Personal Foul (237), Face Mask (217), Taunting (130), Lowering the Head to Initiate Contact (70), Tripping (37), Lowering the Head to Make Forcible Contact (5), Roughing the Kicker (1), and Clipping (1)

Scroll left and right for additional columns.

Team	Games	Total	1st Down	2nd Down	3rd Down	4th Down	3rd & Long	Desperation	Yardage Mitigated	Penalty Yards
Miami	269	1.472	0.520	0.420	0.487	0.033	0.290	0.145	12.409	16.167
Minnesota	275	1.335	0.491	0.367	0.436	0.040	0.280	0.145	11.633	15.338
Cleveland	269	1.450	0.494	0.476	0.435	0.037	0.290	0.160	12.204	17.312
Dallas	277	1.523	0.520	0.491	0.451	0.043	0.278	0.141	12.679	15.563
Carolina	273	1.275	0.447	0.392	0.407	0.026	0.249	0.114	10.747	14.582
Cincinnati	278	1.338	0.435	0.432	0.439	0.022	0.263	0.144	11.435	14.658
Arizona	272	1.496	0.563	0.504	0.404	0.022	0.246	0.125	12.912	16.077
Tennessee	273	1.473	0.542	0.440	0.440	0.048	0.289	0.143	12.736	17.084
San Francisco	286	1.441	0.455	0.448	0.510	0.028	0.318	0.171	12.346	15.902
LA Chargers	273	1.407	0.454	0.381	0.502	0.055	0.315	0.136	11.689	14.725
Baltimore	287	1.652	0.578	0.519	0.467	0.073	0.265	0.136	13.976	18.387
Pittsburgh	280	1.332	0.436	0.479	0.361	0.046	0.204	0.111	11.229	15.346
Washington	272	1.371	0.496	0.415	0.412	0.044	0.228	0.110	11.309	15.691
Atlanta	274	1.234	0.427	0.361	0.409	0.022	0.237	0.099	10.416	13.693
N.Y. Giants	273	1.300	0.432	0.403	0.421	0.040	0.289	0.136	11.139	15.337
Las Vegas	268	1.739	0.638	0.485	0.567	0.045	0.388	0.179	15.067	19.284
Indianapolis	279	1.283	0.437	0.401	0.412	0.022	0.229	0.097	10.233	13.720
Chicago	269	1.238	0.353	0.405	0.442	0.030	0.227	0.078	9.706	15.353
Denver	277	1.617	0.610	0.487	0.491	0.022	0.318	0.112	13.816	17.498
LA Rams	279	1.373	0.487	0.401	0.434	0.039	0.280	0.143	11.731	15.036
Green Bay	289	1.256	0.471	0.346	0.401	0.024	0.215	0.090	9.976	13.318
Philadelphia	284	1.465	0.486	0.433	0.514	0.021	0.317	0.173	12.359	15.827
Houston	279	1.570	0.505	0.541	0.484	0.036	0.297	0.143	13.183	18.319
Kansas City	293	1.505	0.556	0.389	0.509	0.038	0.297	0.164	12.584	16.130
Seattle	285	1.526	0.495	0.456	0.544	0.025	0.340	0.147	12.670	17.144
Detroit	273	1.747	0.619	0.484	0.593	0.040	0.333	0.150	14.634	18.410
New England	291	1.361	0.488	0.416	0.440	0.010	0.268	0.103	11.330	15.536
Tampa Bay	276	1.428	0.587	0.395	0.388	0.051	0.221	0.120	12.384	14.960
New Orleans	281	1.762	0.591	0.566	0.534	0.064	0.313	0.121	14.619	19.665
Buffalo	279	1.516	0.563	0.462	0.455	0.032	0.312	0.140	12.821	15.670
N.Y. Jets	272	1.695	0.588	0.452	0.577	0.059	0.371	0.202	14.357	19.015
Jacksonville	271	1.399	0.568	0.369	0.421	0.037	0.247	0.111	11.768	16.413