THE CANADIAN RULE BOOK FOR AMATEUR TACKLE FOOTBALL  

SUMMARY OF PENALTIES  

Note: Click on Signal # or Article # for Hyperlink to Applicable Section of Rulebook

  Official's 
Signal #
Rule Section Article
#

LOSS OF 5 YARDS

       
No Huddle after Team time – out  20 1 5 4
Improper Equipment   31 1 11 1
Illegal Removal of Helmet          20 1 11 2
Alleged need for equipment, etc 20 1 11 2
Imitation of Ball 20 1 11 2
No Mouth guard      31 1 11 3
Creating Doubt – Backfield   20 4 1 4
Illegal Motion of Ball by Centre   20 4 2 1
Misleading Tactics:          
(a)  Attempt to Draw Offside  20 4 2 2
(b)  Team B voicing signals to draw Offside 20 4 2 2
Offside:          
(a)   Encroaching on Neutral Zone                             19 4 2 3
(b)   Contact Offside 19 4 2 3
(c)   Quick Scrimmage, Defense Offside   19 4 2 3
(d)  Defensive Signal Caller not on own side of Neutral Zone 19 4 2 3
Time Count prior to 3 Minute warning  3 4 2 4
Illegal Scrimmage:          
(a)  Less than 7 Players on wingline  20 4 3 2
(b)  Improper Numbering and position 20 4 3 3
(c)   Motion after 3 or 4 point stance     20 4 3 4
(d)   Line in motion prior to snap  20 4 3 4
(e)   1 Second pause by wingline players  20 4 3 4
Tandem Buck  20 4 6 3
Illegal Kick-Off:          
(a)   Kick-off less than 10 yards  20 5 2 3
(b)   Kick-off out of bounds at sideline    20 5 2 3
(c)  Offside on Kick-off  19 5 2 4
Pyramiding   20 5 3 5

LOSS OF 10 YARDS

       
Team appearing late on Field   3 1 3 5
Comments for benefit of Officials  23 1 4 3
Unauthorized Delay of Game  3 1 7 2
Player voluntarily leaves field and returns  24 1 10 8
No Mouth guard (deliberate)  23 1 11 3
Illegal substitution:         
(a) Sub leaves on wrong side of field   24 1 12 2
(b) Sub enters after team A breaks huddle   24 1 12 2
(c) Sleeper Play   24 1 12 2
(d) Messenger Players   24 1 12 2
Excess Number of Players   24 1 12 3
Illegal Use of Sideline Privileges    24 1 13 1
Interference by unauthorized persons  14 1 13 4
Illegal number and entry of non-players   24 1 13 5
Time Count violation – After 3 Minute warning 3 4 2 4
Holding Hands and Locking Arms         15 4 6 4
Blocking Below the Waist:          
(a)  After change of Possession    32 4 5 4
(b) Kick offs   32 5 2 5
(c) After recovery of blocked kick   32 5 3 2
(d) Kicks from Scrimmage 32 5 5 1
(e) Return Kicks         32 5 5 2
(f)  By kicking team     32 5 5 3
(g) After Recovery of own Kick   32 5 5 4
(h) After intercepted pass     32 6 4 9
(h) After intercepted pass     32 6 4 11
Interference on Kicker       14 5 5 1
Illegal Use of Hands, kicking team      15 5 5 3
Forward pass thrown from beyond the Line of Scrimmage   25 6 3 4(4)
Second forward pass on same down  25 6 4 2
Ineligible Receivers:          
(a) Touches or catches pass  25 6 4 5
(a) Touches or catches pass 25 6 3 4
(b) Downfield before pass thrown   29 6 4 5
Illegal contact with eligible receiver 36 6 4 10(b)
Holding or Encircling       15 7 1 1
Illegal Use of Hands and Arms      15 7 7 1
Illegal Block     34 7 1 3
Tripping     23 7 1 5
Contacting the kicker  18 7 1 5
Objectionable Conduct   23 7 4 1
Action to delay game   23 7 4 1
Illegal interference in end zone – loose ball  14 8 4 2
Interference (remote area) when ball is loose   14 9 3 1

LOSS OF 15 YARDS

       
Restraining Zone foul on Kick or Return Kick  13 5 4 1
Kick touched by Offside Player after kick crosses Line of Scrimmage    13 5 4 1
Pass Interference  14 6 4 10
Blocking from the Rear (clipping)    16 7 1 2
Unnecessary Roughness:          
(a) Piling On  17 7 3 1
(b) Tackling out of bounds  10 7 3 1
(c)  Contacting the Passer  10 7 3 2
(d)  Contacting the Kicker     18 7 3 3
(e)  Contacting the Place-Kick Holder   18 7 3 4
(f)   Grasping the facemask     12 7 3 5
(g)  Head Tackling in open field    10 7 3 6
(h)  Clotheslining  10 7 3 6
(i)   Spearing     28 7 3 7
(j)   Butt Blocking, Butt Tackling     28 7 3 8
(k)  Illegal use of hands & arms in a Unnecessary Roughness manner        
      (i) Contact with fist, heel of hand, or elbow   10 7 3 9
      (ii) Cocking the blocking arm   10 7 3 9
      (iii) Elbow Smash   10 7 3 9
      (iv) Turning body to add force     10 7 3 9
       (v) Contact with clasped hands      10 7 3 9
      (vi) Striking opponent above shoulders   10 7 3 9
(l)   Crack-back blocking    10 & 35 7 3 10
(m) Delayed knee block    10 7 3 11

LOSS OF 25 YARDS & DISQUALIFICATION

       
Deliberate charging of Kicker, Passer, or Receiver    11 7 2 1
Striking opponent with fist, heel of hand, knee, elbow, or kicking 11 7 2 2
Butt blocking, Butt tackling, or Spearing calculated to injure 11 7 2 3
Face Masking, calculated to injure         11 7 2 4
Any flagrant act of roughness, or unfair play 11 7 2 5

LOSS OF DOWN

       
Time Count on 1D & 2D, after 3 -Minute warning   3 4 2 4
Offside Pass 21 6 3 3
Forward Pass Striking an ineligible receiver    25 6 4 7
Deliberate Grounding by Passer      21 6 4 8
Team A penalty on own 1 yard line - * Applicable Penalty Signal * 8 3 4

NO DISTANCE PENALTY

       
No Mouthguard warning   1 11 3
Improper Registration       1 12 1
Restraining zone violation:          
         -short kick into group of players   5 4 3
         -ball bounces back into group        5 4 3