Whenever a penalty occurs in a football game, what is the difference between declining or accepting a penalty?

Answer 1

Every penalty has a different value specified for it (false start--5 yds., pass interference--15 yds. or the spot of the foul, intentional grounding--10 yds. and loss of down, etc.)...if the distance of the penalty is more than half the distance to the goal, the penalty will be half the distance to the goal instead of what it's usually assigned (example: 5-yd false start penalty is enforced half-the-distance-to-the-goal if it's within the penalized team's 10-yd-line)

Accepting the penalty is basically approving the enforcement of the penalty that's called, declining is essentially asking to forget the penalty and move on as if nothing ever happened.

Strategy's pretty simple, accept it if it helps your team, decline it if it doesn't. Usually teams will decline a penalty if declining it would lead to a 4th down or they'll decline a pass interference call if they got more than 15 yards out of the play...oh, and fyi, teams are not allowed to accept more than one penalty on the same play, so they automatically decline the less severe and have the option of accepting the more severe penalty. If there's a penalty on the play and then one after the play, they can take both.

Bet Joe Paterno's wishing he'd remembered he could decline the offsides penalty in that game against Wisconsin!!!! :D :D :D

Answer 2

What occurs on the play. For instance, if the play gains 20 yards and the penalty is a 10 penalty. Of course your going to decline the penalty.

Answer 3

Okay, so I started to list 2 and went a little overboard Five Yard Penalties: Defensive holding or illegal use of hands Delay of game Encroachment Excessive time outs False Start Forward pass thrown from behind the line of scrimmage after the ball has already crossed the line Forard pass thrown from beyond the line of scrimmage Illegal formation Illegal shift Illegal motion Illegal substitution Invalid fair catch signalIllegal return Too many men on the field Offside Pass touched by a receiver after being out of bounds Player out of bounds at snap Running into the kicker Second forward pass behind the line Unintentional facemask Ten Yard Penalties: Deliberately batting, kicking, or punching a loose ball Helping the runner Holding, illegal use of hands, illegal block above the waist Intentional grounding Offensive pass interference Tripping Fifteen Yard Penalties: Chop block Clipping Fair catch interference Facemask Faking a roughing Illegal low block Kicking or kneeling on an opponent Roughing the kicker Roughing the passer Spearing Striking an opponent with a fist Striking an official Unnecessary roughness Unsportsmanlike conduct Using a helmet as a weapon

Answer 4

Depends on the penalty. Say the defense is offsides but the offense completes a 20yd pass. The offense can decline and take the results of the play(20yds), or accept penalty which would only give them 5yds. But if the pass was incomplete, then you accept, gain 5yds and down remains the same unless the 5yda will give you a first down.

Answer 5

if ur team does a penalty. lets say ur team hits my teammate in the back while on offense and im on the 40 yard line closest to the goal my team should go 10 yards closer to the goal and the last play did not count. but if my team just got a first down and gained fifteen yards we would decline the play to go forward ten yards because we already have a first own and have gone 15 yeards. so if my team accepted the play then we would lose yards. thats the difference. VOTE ME BEST ANSWER!!!

Answer 6

when the penalty is accepted then that means it is valid and the penalty stays. when the penalty is declined then that means that the call has been proven to a majority of the refs by thier eye witness or by camera that the penalty called is not a valid call and is to be thrown out.

Answer 7

accepting the penalty means you're saying yes to the penalty and declining means you're saying no to the penalty

Answer 8

Offense only usual declines if there is a pass interference on the defense after a touchdown pass therefor keeping the touchdown. and accepting usual means accepting a penalty like holding or something.

Answer 9

you accept if it helps you, decline if it doesnt...say youre the offense and the defense is off sides...if you made 10 yards it doesnt help you to negate the play and take 5 so you decline