What is a personal foul? A personal foul results in a 15-yard penalty. A personal foul is the granddaddy of them all. Always of the 15-yard fashion and an automatic first down, personal fouls can swing the...
A personal foul is the granddaddy of them all. Always of the 15-yard fashion and an automatic first down, personal fouls can swing the momentum of the game. And when we I say automatic first down, that means that if it's 3rd-and-58 and someone commits a personal foul against the offensive unit, the offense would only be moved forward 15 yards, but they would start off with a fresh set of downs.
While most personal fouls are put in place to protect players from injuries (chop block, spearing or striking an opponent with a fist) there are some personal fouls that can be called without laying a finger on another football player.
Those penalties are such as fair catch interference, unsportsmanlike conduct and striking an official. Striking an official usually results in a player being kicked out of a game.
A few other penalties that result in a 15-yard walk off are: roughing the kicker, excessive grabbing of the facemask or kicking or kneeling on an opponent.
