A Wide Receiver Cannot Block Back Toward The Ball Below The Waist. The NFL Charges 15 Yards.
The rulebook limits how receivers and motion backs may block back toward the ball, and the penalty is 15 yards.
A crackback block is a block by an offensive player moving back toward the position from which the ball was snapped. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 6 sets when it is illegal.
Where and who
The block must occur within an area five yards on either side of the line of scrimmage, by a player moving toward the snap position, and the player must have been set more than two yards outside an offensive tackle (flexed), a back who moved to a position more than two yards outside the tackle, or a back in motion when the ball was snapped.
The prohibited contact
The foul is the contact: below the waist, or contact prohibited against a defenseless player.
- 01Penalty: loss of 15 yards
- 02The rule applies inside the tight end box as well
Quick answers
- What is a crackback block in the NFL?
- A block within five yards of the line of scrimmage by an offensive player moving back toward the spot from which the ball was snapped, who was flexed wide, moved wide from the backfield, or was in motion.
- What makes a crackback block illegal?
- Contacting the player below the waist, or making contact prohibited against a player in a defenseless posture.
- What is the penalty for an illegal crackback block?
- Loss of 15 yards.
Sources
- 2026 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League
- The Official NFL Rulebook, NFL Football Operations
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