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 (4279), Defensive Holding (3094), Roughing the Passer (1708), Illegal Contact (1036), Illegal Use of Hands (890), Face Mask (15 Yards) (771), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (342), Horse Collar Tackle (254), Personal Foul (237), Face Mask (231), Taunting (134), Lowering the Head to Initiate Contact (70), Tripping (39), 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
Atlanta	278	1.644	0.532	0.518	0.532	0.050	0.313	0.155	13.576	17.090
Cleveland	272	1.426	0.441	0.463	0.467	0.051	0.298	0.125	11.912	14.838
Minnesota	279	1.588	0.556	0.437	0.534	0.043	0.323	0.143	12.667	18.108
Tampa Bay	279	1.559	0.602	0.459	0.452	0.039	0.283	0.154	13.448	18.495
Green Bay	293	1.587	0.505	0.461	0.580	0.027	0.311	0.126	12.932	19.205
Jacksonville	274	1.485	0.536	0.456	0.449	0.040	0.270	0.131	12.712	16.358
Houston	283	1.382	0.502	0.413	0.428	0.025	0.269	0.124	11.668	14.587
Seattle	288	1.365	0.521	0.389	0.396	0.049	0.243	0.122	11.521	16.028
Denver	281	1.544	0.502	0.466	0.520	0.046	0.310	0.128	12.733	17.438
Baltimore	290	1.355	0.438	0.459	0.424	0.028	0.255	0.131	11.559	16.979
LA Chargers	277	1.563	0.574	0.473	0.455	0.054	0.285	0.119	13.394	16.245
N.Y. Giants	277	1.473	0.556	0.408	0.448	0.054	0.235	0.126	12.134	15.394
Cincinnati	281	1.534	0.580	0.470	0.431	0.043	0.256	0.149	12.822	16.562
Detroit	276	1.442	0.551	0.438	0.424	0.022	0.290	0.130	12.380	15.525
New England	295	1.610	0.512	0.553	0.495	0.041	0.295	0.142	13.583	17.369
Arizona	275	1.640	0.585	0.509	0.498	0.036	0.331	0.135	13.949	18.342
Kansas City	296	1.490	0.561	0.436	0.439	0.044	0.277	0.152	12.973	14.311
Dallas	280	1.529	0.479	0.521	0.496	0.025	0.325	0.129	12.804	15.807
San Francisco	290	1.314	0.476	0.338	0.466	0.034	0.293	0.145	10.962	13.697
Pittsburgh	284	1.507	0.549	0.482	0.433	0.025	0.257	0.109	12.380	18.447
Buffalo	282	1.316	0.461	0.394	0.422	0.032	0.280	0.142	11.447	15.351
Washington	276	1.413	0.457	0.428	0.471	0.047	0.272	0.138	11.725	14.609
Las Vegas	271	1.406	0.502	0.387	0.458	0.052	0.325	0.159	12.026	17.166
N.Y. Jets	275	1.345	0.425	0.422	0.455	0.033	0.262	0.124	11.371	15.298
New Orleans	285	1.253	0.379	0.421	0.435	0.018	0.228	0.095	10.432	12.975
Philadelphia	287	1.394	0.516	0.439	0.404	0.021	0.247	0.115	12.056	16.544
Chicago	273	1.399	0.469	0.403	0.484	0.033	0.293	0.172	11.934	15.088
Indianapolis	283	1.594	0.622	0.452	0.495	0.025	0.339	0.155	13.898	19.664
LA Rams	282	1.298	0.450	0.401	0.418	0.028	0.252	0.124	10.677	14.642
Miami	273	1.348	0.568	0.344	0.410	0.022	0.220	0.139	11.495	15.813
Tennessee	276	1.420	0.482	0.380	0.500	0.047	0.333	0.149	11.641	14.449
Carolina	277	1.386	0.444	0.404	0.477	0.051	0.264	0.123	11.542	14.332