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 (4363), Defensive Holding (3142), Roughing the Passer (1735), Illegal Contact (1064), Illegal Use of Hands (903), Face Mask (15 Yards) (771), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (346), Horse Collar Tackle (255), Face Mask (252), Personal Foul (237), Taunting (138), Lowering the Head to Initiate Contact (70), Tripping (43), 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	284	1.651	0.539	0.518	0.535	0.049	0.317	0.155	13.616	17.035
Cleveland	278	1.417	0.450	0.453	0.460	0.050	0.295	0.126	11.892	14.752
Minnesota	285	1.579	0.558	0.435	0.526	0.042	0.319	0.140	12.600	17.891
Tampa Bay	285	1.579	0.604	0.470	0.460	0.039	0.288	0.161	13.589	18.554
Green Bay	299	1.579	0.502	0.458	0.579	0.027	0.304	0.124	12.803	19.261
Jacksonville	280	1.486	0.546	0.450	0.443	0.043	0.268	0.129	12.746	16.386
Houston	289	1.391	0.502	0.415	0.436	0.024	0.280	0.128	11.817	14.734
Seattle	294	1.357	0.517	0.395	0.388	0.048	0.238	0.119	11.486	15.830
Denver	286	1.528	0.493	0.469	0.510	0.045	0.304	0.126	12.640	17.220
Baltimore	296	1.351	0.436	0.449	0.432	0.027	0.264	0.135	11.537	16.919
LA Chargers	282	1.560	0.574	0.468	0.457	0.053	0.284	0.121	13.362	16.202
N.Y. Giants	282	1.486	0.557	0.415	0.454	0.053	0.245	0.128	12.262	15.504
Cincinnati	287	1.533	0.585	0.467	0.429	0.042	0.254	0.146	12.829	16.624
Detroit	282	1.436	0.546	0.429	0.426	0.028	0.291	0.131	12.287	15.472
New England	300	1.603	0.510	0.543	0.493	0.043	0.293	0.140	13.460	17.263
Arizona	281	1.623	0.573	0.505	0.495	0.039	0.331	0.132	13.765	18.071
Kansas City	302	1.493	0.563	0.437	0.440	0.043	0.278	0.152	13.076	14.596
Dallas	286	1.538	0.479	0.535	0.490	0.024	0.322	0.129	12.850	15.962
San Francisco	295	1.308	0.475	0.342	0.458	0.034	0.288	0.142	10.912	13.569
Pittsburgh	290	1.510	0.555	0.483	0.431	0.024	0.259	0.107	12.455	18.493
Buffalo	288	1.316	0.455	0.392	0.424	0.038	0.274	0.139	11.396	15.344
Washington	281	1.413	0.456	0.423	0.473	0.050	0.274	0.142	11.758	14.694
Las Vegas	277	1.404	0.495	0.401	0.451	0.051	0.318	0.155	11.989	17.069
N.Y. Jets	281	1.327	0.420	0.413	0.452	0.032	0.260	0.125	11.214	15.260
New Orleans	290	1.255	0.376	0.431	0.431	0.017	0.228	0.097	10.566	12.969
Philadelphia	293	1.396	0.509	0.437	0.413	0.024	0.256	0.119	12.048	16.532
Chicago	279	1.391	0.462	0.405	0.480	0.032	0.290	0.172	11.878	14.910
Indianapolis	288	1.594	0.618	0.451	0.500	0.024	0.347	0.160	13.944	19.726
LA Rams	288	1.292	0.441	0.406	0.417	0.028	0.250	0.125	10.587	14.465
Miami	278	1.324	0.558	0.338	0.403	0.022	0.216	0.137	11.288	15.529
Tennessee	282	1.415	0.479	0.376	0.504	0.046	0.337	0.149	11.603	14.316
Carolina	282	1.362	0.436	0.397	0.468	0.050	0.259	0.121	11.337	14.078