Lose of down penalties...

[TRexSmarts]

Lighthouse,

I was wondering if you could possibly explain the penalties that have the "lose of downs" attached to them like intentional grounding ones. An example would be as follow. Lets say, it's 1 and 10, the qb hikes the ball and to avoid a rush throws it away and is called for intentional grounding. So, the team loses 10 yards and a loss of down. Should it be 3rd and 20 now right? I been noticing lately in some games that it will be 2nd and 20, which to me doesn't sound right because the result of the play would already make it 2nd and 20 and the lose of down should make it 3rd and 20. To me that is a true lose of down. Can you clarify this for me?

TRexSmarts

[MurphyLee]

On a normal penalty the down reverts back to the one previously played,IE if it's first and ten and the offense is called for a false start they lose 5 yards and it is still first down.On a loss of down penalty you lose the yardage and you do not revert to the previous down.

[TRexSmarts]

MurphyLee wrote: On a normal penalty the down reverts back to the one previously played,IE if it's first and ten and the offense is called for a false start they lose 5 yards and it is still first down.On a loss of down penalty you lose the yardage and you do not revert to the previous down.
Thanks for that clarification. Now that does make sense to me. I wasn't thinking about that. Did the los of down changed? Seemed like when I was growing up it was how I explained it? I can't remember.

TRexSmarts

[lighthouse]

I don't think it's changed TL. Murphylee's explaination is the way it was when I called football. Georgiablue can tell us for sure.

[GeorgiaBlue]

Well - I can only say for certainty about the LOD penalties in High School- that is my expertise. The following penalties carry a loss of down:

Intentional Grounding

Illegally handing the ball forward

Illegal touching

Offensive Pass Interference

So if any of these fouls are committed, the 'right to replay the down' is lost. So on an offensive pass interference call, the ball gets pushed back 15 yards from the previous spot - and it is now 2nd and 25 instead of 1st down again.

As far as college, pro, or other - I have no idea.