Is tripping illegal in the NFL?

Tripping in the NFL is just one of several shady plays used by defenses to get an unfair advantage over better-skilled offenses. Over the years, the NFL has seen some unfortunate scenarios whereby a technicalities-savvy player trips his opposition and gets away with it.

However, there are provisions in the NFL rule book that outlaw the action, and if a player is found guilty of the activity, the player is penalized appropriately. Here, we will look into the not-so-rare phenomenon and what makes it dissimilar to other frequent penalties on the gridiron.

What is a 'tripping penalty'?

A tripping penalty occurs any time a player trips a player from an opposing team who performs the act on purpose. The penalty can occur either during a play or after the play is over, which the NFL categorizes as a dead-ball foul. Often, this occurs on players who do not have a football.

A good example of an act that constitutes such a penalty is when an offensive lineman trips a defensive player to prevent him from getting to the quarterback or the ball carrier.

Why do players resort to tripping other players?

A trip is an unnatural action done by players (and occasionally coaches) as a last resort. This is especially so when the guilty player did so while trying to cover the opposing player but did a terrible job.

The league created the tripping penalty to protect some of its most skillful route runners, players who can manufacture separation and undergo the threat of being tripped with each play made.

It is not uncommon to see defenders doing this, especially if a running back is about to dart past them with the ball. These defenders might believe that it is better to try to stop them at all costs, even if doing so might result in a penalty.

Consequences of the penalty

Once a tripping penalty is called against a player, be it defensively or offensively, the penalized player's team will receive a 10-yard penalty. However, if the offense commits the penalty, the down will be retaken. So, for example, if it's 2nd-and-7 when the penalty occurred, the next down will be 2nd-and-17.

However, if the defender commits the penalty, the offense will move the ball forward 10 yards, resulting in an automatic first down for the next play.

How effective is the tripping penalty?

The penalty has a minimal effect in discouraging professional football players from tripping their opposition, especially when it is the last resort. The reason is that 10 yards are easy to defend against, especially when you have a solid defensive coordinator and top-notch defensive stoppers to get the job done.

What's more, this penalty is one of the most difficult to call, as evidenced in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup against the New Orleans Saints when officials proved that Tom Brady kicked out at a defender after the match.

The penalty is good in theory for the sport; unfortunately, it seems to be lacking in the practicability aspect. There are similar penalties, such as offensive holding, defensive holding, clipping, chop block, and blocking illegal cut blocks. All of the penalties mentioned have varying degrees of success in being enforced.