What is the half the distance rule in the NFL?

If a distance penalty would move the ball more than half the distance to the fouling team's goal line, the penalty is half the distance instead.

Does half the distance apply to the defense?

Yes. It applies to any distance penalty, so a defensive foul near the defense's own goal line is also cut to half the distance.

What are the exceptions?

Intentional grounding and a palpably unfair act. For grounding, the defense gets half the distance or the spot of the foul, whichever is more advantageous.

RULE DECODEROctober 14, 20262 min read

An NFL Penalty Cannot Move The Ball More Than Half The Distance To The Goal Line

The NFL's half-distance rule caps every distance penalty at half the way to the fouling team's goal line. Only intentional grounding and a palpably unfair act are exceptions.

Rule 14, Section 2, Article 1 of the NFL rulebook is the half-distance penalty.

If the enforcement of a distance penalty would move the ball more than half the distance from the spot of enforcement to the offender's goal line, the penalty shall be half the distance from the spot of enforcement to its goal line.

Two examples

01A 15-yard penalty marked off against the offense from its own 10 moves the ball 5 yards, to the 5
02A 15-yard penalty against the defense with the ball on the defense's 6 moves it to the 3

The exceptions

The rulebook says this general rule supersedes any other enforcement of a distance penalty, with two exceptions: intentional grounding (Rule 8-2-1) and a palpably unfair act (Rule 12-3-4). Approved Rulings A.R. 14.23 and 14.24 show the grounding exception: the defense gets half the distance or the spot of the foul, whichever is more advantageous to it.

Quick answers

What is the half the distance rule in the NFL?: If a distance penalty would move the ball more than half the distance to the fouling team's goal line, the penalty is half the distance instead.
Does half the distance apply to the defense?: Yes. It applies to any distance penalty, so a defensive foul near the defense's own goal line is also cut to half the distance.
What are the exceptions?: Intentional grounding and a palpably unfair act. For grounding, the defense gets half the distance or the spot of the foul, whichever is more advantageous.

Sources

2026 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League

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