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 (1326), Defensive Holding (966), Roughing the Passer (503), Illegal Contact (274), Illegal Use of Hands (208), Face Mask (15 Yards) (171), Personal Foul (61), Lowering the Head to Initiate Contact (10), and Tripping (6)

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
Philadelphia2390.4180.490-0.0714.6494.992-0.3430.1090.163-0.054-0.5400.1300.176-0.046
Kansas City2460.4430.504-0.0614.0455.167-1.1220.1300.150-0.020-0.5160.1460.154-0.008
Cincinnati2380.4620.4240.0384.6814.0550.6260.1510.1220.0290.5420.1300.1180.013
San Francisco2430.4860.514-0.0294.9265.469-0.5430.1360.160-0.025-0.4810.1320.1320.000
Dallas2360.4410.508-0.0684.4585.331-0.8730.0890.144-0.055-0.4320.1400.1270.013
Buffalo2340.4190.436-0.0175.0604.5130.5470.1240.132-0.009-0.2140.1200.1070.013
Jacksonville2310.4240.450-0.0264.5114.823-0.3120.1130.1080.004-0.0260.1390.1000.039
Seattle2450.4120.535-0.1224.6295.384-0.7550.1140.139-0.024-0.8650.1310.171-0.041
Washington2290.4590.3670.0924.3624.2230.1400.1090.0830.0260.5460.1270.1000.026
LA Rams2360.3980.432-0.0343.6105.521-1.9110.1100.119-0.008-0.3050.0970.144-0.047
Baltimore2430.4240.486-0.0625.7334.7331.0000.1230.1190.004-0.1650.1400.1230.016
Cleveland2280.4610.478-0.0184.0795.825-1.7460.1050.154-0.048-0.2980.1400.171-0.031
Pittsburgh2390.4310.3640.0675.1973.8491.3470.1090.0960.0130.4100.1170.1050.013
Las Vegas2280.4780.588-0.1105.7546.180-0.4250.1400.175-0.035-0.8860.1140.167-0.053
N.Y. Giants2330.4460.4120.0344.5844.4330.1500.1120.116-0.004-0.0730.1590.1120.047
Indianapolis2390.5270.4140.1135.5654.9540.6110.1550.1000.0541.1510.1420.1380.004
Miami2280.4470.509-0.0615.6015.0180.5830.1400.1360.004-0.5660.1050.132-0.026
New England2510.5180.4300.0885.2514.2790.9720.1350.1120.0240.7050.1710.1240.048
Denver2360.5550.5000.0555.7465.5970.1480.1360.1020.0340.3430.1440.1440.000
Chicago2300.5000.4300.0704.8914.7830.1090.1570.0700.0870.9830.1910.1300.061
Detroit2290.4590.550-0.0924.8385.659-0.8210.1400.1310.009-0.3710.1400.148-0.009
Atlanta2350.5660.4300.1365.3704.6430.7280.1700.0890.0810.9960.2040.1700.034
Arizona2320.4870.4010.0865.3843.4481.9350.1120.138-0.0260.4270.1080.125-0.017
Tennessee2330.5240.3910.1335.1504.0641.0860.1420.1030.0391.0900.1550.1120.043
New Orleans2410.4270.598-0.1704.4816.021-1.5390.0830.124-0.041-1.2070.1990.224-0.025
Green Bay2470.6030.3850.2196.9033.6033.3000.1380.0810.0571.3640.1820.1130.069
Tampa Bay2330.4330.4210.0134.4724.1420.3300.1460.1120.0340.3780.1200.150-0.030
Houston2360.4240.504-0.0814.0555.322-1.2670.0970.144-0.047-0.6400.1100.182-0.072
LA Chargers2320.4700.539-0.0694.7505.478-0.7280.1080.125-0.017-0.3660.1380.172-0.034
Minnesota2350.5190.4430.0775.4854.6430.8430.1110.132-0.0210.1700.1700.1700.000
Carolina2330.4380.4080.0304.0174.133-0.1160.1030.0990.0040.0690.1630.1160.047
N.Y. Jets2320.4350.603-0.1684.3026.466-2.1640.1030.172-0.069-1.2760.1080.159-0.052

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.