In the NFL, how is the "half the distance" penalty rule enforced when close to the goal line?

Question

1. If ball is on the 20, and a personal foul is committed, does it go to the 5? or just half the distance to the 10?

2. What if ball is on the 8 and a 5-yard foul is committed?

Answer 1

Half the distance means half the distance.
1. Ball goes to the 10.
2. Ball goes to the 4.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football_rules

With three exceptions, no penalty may move the ball more than half the distance toward the penalized team's goal line. These exceptions are defensive pass interference (see the discussion of that penalty for more details), intentional grounding, and offensive holding – but in this last case the exception pertains only if the infraction occurs within the offensive team's own end zone, in which case an automatic safety is assessed (intentional grounding from the end zone also carries an automatic safety).

Answer 2

Defiantly the OT rule. I would make it high school rules where each team has 4 plays to get in the end-zone except it would start at the 20 yard line. I would also change the way the NFL handles the playoffs. Make teams ranked. For example there are 16 teams in each conference, and 4 in each division. So in each conference make a 6 team rank. Another example last years AFC playoffs: 1. Patriots 2. Colts 3. Chargers 4. Steelers 5. Jaguars 6. Titans. And start around the 5th or 6th week. I hope this would happen.

Answer 3

In the first situation, the ball would be placed on the 10. When the distance from the goalline is less than 30 yards. 15 yd. penalties are half the distance.

In the second situation, the ball would go to the 4 as you are in half the distance territory.

Answer 4

What if the offense has the ball on their own 1-foot line and commits a penalty? The ball is 12" in length. What do they do, turn it sideways? Then want about the next offensive penalty? I think it's called Zeno's Paradox. Or do they just award the defensive team a safety?

Answer 5

"Half the Distance" is enforced when there are not enough yards to cover a standard penalty of 15 , 10 or 5 yards.

Answer 6

1. To the 5

2. To the three

Answer 7

half the distance means if the penalt is greater than the yardage to the endzone you go half the distance. if someone commits a 15 yard penalty inside of 15 yards it goes half the distance. lets say the offensive team is on the defensive team 14yd line and the defensive player hits the qb late. well the penalty is only 7 yards plus the offensive team gets an automatic first down. and it goes that way with 5 and 10 yds too.

1. the ball goes to the 5 because its a 15 yd penalty. 20-15 is 5. had the penalty been on the 14 it would have went to the 7. had the penalty had been on the 18 to the 3. had the penalty been on the 15 it would have been on the goal line. you get it just use subtraction,

2. on the 8 it goes to the 3. simple math.

Answer 8

1. 10
2. 4

The ball cannot be moved closer than half the distance to the goal unless it is defensive pass interference, intentional grounding (from the end zone) and offensive holding (from the end zone).

Answer 9

if the foul would move the ball closer than half the distance, its move d half the distance
10
4
the only exception is intentional grounding which would put the ball at the spot of the foul

Answer 10

Same rules still apply so it's not that big of a deal to commit a penalty like that unless it gives them a new first down.