NFL Penalty Tracker
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Drive Extending Automatic First Down Penalties - 2009 to Present

This page shows all penalties that resulted in an automatic first down, based on the type of penalty, on 3rd and 4th down.

In other words the offense would likely have punted or settled in some form, but the drive was extended by an automatic first down. There are many additional penalties that based on the penalty yardage and distance remaining resulted in a first down. Declined and Offsetting penalties are not shown in this table. Penalties occurring on special teams are not included.

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The table below contains the following penalties: Defensive Pass Interference (1636), Defensive Holding (1114), Roughing the Passer (600), Illegal Contact (358), Illegal Use of Hands (233), Face Mask (15 Yards) (171), Unsportsmanlike Conduct (124), Personal Foul (61), Horse Collar Tackle (56), Face Mask (47), Taunting (36), Lowering the Head to Initiate Contact (10), Tripping (6), and Lowering the Head to Make Forcible Contact (2)

Scroll left and right for additional columns.
TeamGamesBenefitted OffenseHarmed DefenseNet CountBenefitted Off YardsHarmed Def YardsNet Penalty YardsOff DesperationDef DesperationNet DesperationNet Yardage MitigatedOff TDsDef TDsNet TDs
Seattle2860.4480.570-0.1225.0455.689-0.6430.1220.150-0.028-0.8780.1150.150-0.035
Houston2800.4540.518-0.0644.5755.675-1.1000.1250.143-0.018-0.3290.1000.154-0.054
Detroit2740.4490.635-0.1864.6356.401-1.7660.1310.150-0.018-0.9160.1200.150-0.029
Tampa Bay2770.4910.4440.0475.2854.3570.9280.1550.1190.0360.5270.1050.126-0.022
Washington2730.5200.4620.0594.8535.249-0.3960.1390.1100.0290.4650.1100.0950.015
Dallas2780.5180.4960.0225.4145.1650.2480.1260.144-0.0180.3490.1220.1120.011
Green Bay2900.6140.4310.1837.2934.1383.1550.1280.0930.0341.0480.1590.0970.062
Arizona2730.5350.4250.1106.0513.7142.3370.1360.1250.0110.8100.0990.110-0.011
Indianapolis2800.5210.4360.0865.6755.0930.5820.1540.0960.0571.0250.1250.1250.000
LA Chargers2740.5110.555-0.0445.1725.708-0.5360.1200.135-0.015-0.3180.1240.146-0.022
Chicago2700.5110.4740.0375.1415.370-0.2300.1700.0810.0890.8070.1670.1110.056
New Orleans2820.4570.596-0.1384.8946.082-1.1880.0960.121-0.025-0.9260.1810.199-0.018
Denver2780.5680.5290.0406.1126.0610.0500.1290.1290.000-0.0400.1330.1220.011
N.Y. Giants2740.5070.4640.0445.2815.307-0.0260.1280.135-0.007-0.2010.1420.0990.044
Las Vegas2690.5130.617-0.1046.2756.416-0.1410.1600.178-0.019-0.6390.1040.145-0.041
Kansas City2940.4860.548-0.0614.4695.776-1.3060.1530.167-0.014-0.4520.1260.143-0.017
Cleveland2700.5110.4740.0374.7595.744-0.9850.1260.163-0.0370.0740.1220.148-0.026
Miami2700.4330.526-0.0935.1745.0670.1070.1410.148-0.007-0.7890.0930.122-0.030
Jacksonville2720.4930.4710.0225.3465.1100.2350.1320.1100.0220.4010.1290.0880.040
LA Rams2800.4460.471-0.0254.1325.839-1.7070.1250.143-0.018-0.1710.0860.132-0.046
Buffalo2790.4550.487-0.0325.4524.8820.5700.1430.1400.0040.0110.1080.0970.011
Atlanta2750.5850.4290.1565.7384.4761.2620.1560.0980.0580.8980.1780.1490.029
Tennessee2740.5470.4850.0625.3944.9090.4850.1460.1420.0040.4160.1310.1060.026
New England2920.5380.4490.0895.4184.5170.9010.1400.1030.0380.6880.1510.1060.045
Baltimore2870.4530.540-0.0875.8225.829-0.0070.1320.136-0.003-0.3870.1250.1080.017
Pittsburgh2810.4560.4060.0505.3634.2851.0780.1100.1100.0000.3060.1000.0890.011
Carolina2740.5220.4310.0914.9234.6170.3070.1240.1130.0110.4670.1420.1020.040
Philadelphia2850.4210.533-0.1124.7095.663-0.9540.1120.172-0.060-0.8980.1190.147-0.028
Cincinnati2790.4770.4590.0185.0654.4050.6590.1510.1430.0070.1580.1110.1000.011
N.Y. Jets2730.4870.634-0.1475.0706.766-1.6960.1210.201-0.081-1.3960.0990.139-0.040
Minnesota2760.5720.4750.0985.9785.2430.7360.1380.145-0.0070.4020.1490.1490.000
San Francisco2870.5050.537-0.0314.8855.885-1.0000.1460.171-0.024-0.4910.1150.125-0.010

More Explanation

"Desperation" is 3rd and 10 or more or 4th and 6 or more. A team with an Off Desperation of 24 has gotten 24 automatic first downs when they were in a desperate situation. A team with a Def Desperation of 19 has given up 19 automatic first downs when they had the offense in a desperate situation. "Yardage Mitigated" is the total yardage the offense had remaining to get a first down when the flag was thrown granting a first down.

Off TDs/Def TDs: Shows if the drive resulted in a TD. Why not track total points? Because we can't reasonably know if a team was in FG range, and if so what percentage the penalty helped. We can be reasonably sure the team wouldn't have a TD if not for the penalty.

For Example: Arizona is playing Carolina. Arizona has the ball 3rd and 11 and Carolina is called for Defensive Holding. It's 5 yards and an automatic first down. The drive resulted in a TD. The play is tabulated as follows.

Arizona: +1 Benefitted Offense, +1 Net Count, +5 Benefitted Off Yards, +5 Net Penaly Yards, +1 Off Desperation, +1 Net Desperation, +11 Net Yardage Mitigated, +1 Off TD, +1 Net TD.

Carolina: +1 Harmed Defense, -1 Net Count, +5 Harmed Def Yards, -5 Net Penaly Yards, +1 Def Desperation, -1 Net Desperation, -11 Net Yardage Mitigated, +1 Def TD, -1 Net TD.

Issues with the Data: While by and large these penalties extend drives, it is possible that some of these drives would not have ended. The offense might accept a 15 yard penalty on a play where they otherwise only gained 6, but got the first down. This table does not account for that. Also if the penalty occurred on 3rd down the team may have gone for it on 4th and extended the drive that way.