What Is Offensive Pass Interference in the NFL?

Sep 16

2 min read

Updated: Oct 10

Offensive pass interference occurs when an offensive player illegally restricts an opponent's opportunity to play a forward pass. Common examples include a push off that creates separation and prohibited downfield blocking before or during the throw.

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A.J. Green reaches for a pass while Charles Tillman defends during the 2013 Pro Bowl. — A.J. Green makes a contested catch over Charles Tillman during the 2013 Pro Bowl. Photo: Sgt. D.R. Cotton, U.S. Marine Corps, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo source and license: Sgt. D.R. Cotton/U.S. Marine Corps image on Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

For the NFL's pass interference rules to apply, the action must occur more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage on a pass thrown from behind that line. Offensive restrictions begin at the snap and end when any player touches the pass.

Push offs and picks

A receiver may not shove a defender away to manufacture room for the catch. Officials judge the restriction, not simply whether the receiver's arm straightened. Incidental contact or contact that does not materially affect the defender is not automatically interference.

A rub route or pick play also requires that distinction. Two routes crossing near one another are legal. An offensive player deliberately blocking a defender downfield to free a teammate can commit interference even before the pass is released.

There are specific rules for an ineligible lineman's continuous legal block. Do not apply a blanket claim that every offensive contact beyond one yard is interference.

Does an uncatchable pass excuse it?

Some interference situations require a realistically catchable ball. However, the uncatchable pass exception does not excuse the rule's prohibited downfield blocking. A receiver cannot block a defender out of a route and rely on an inaccurate throw to make the block legal.

Blocking after a completed catch is part of the running play and is judged under ordinary blocking restrictions.

The penalty

Accepted offensive pass interference costs ten yards from the previous spot. It does not automatically include loss of down, so the down generally repeats. Second and 8 becomes second and 18, absent another applicable rule.

That differs sharply from defensive pass interference, which normally awards the offense the foul spot and a new first down. Identifying which player initiated the illegal restriction matters more than seeing contact alone.