Minnesota Vikings

NFL Question about a 15 yard roughing kicker and illegal formation, why do they offset?

In the NFL Sunday night game, Bears roughed the punter and the Eagles had an illegal formation. I thought the rule was the 15 yarder overrules the 5 yarder and they do not offset. Why did a major penalty and a minor penalty offset?

Public Comments

1. Becuase there was a penalty on the kicking team and a penalty on the return team.
2. Any time a penalty occurs on each team during the course of a place they always offset. The only time a penalty on each team does not offset is if one occurs during the play and the other occurs after the play.
3. It doesn't matter what penalty, if both teams have flags thrown against them, then you replay the down. Only on a personal penalty like fighting can over rule offsetting calls
4. If there is a double foul without a change of possession, the penalties are offset and the down is replayed at the previous spot. If it was a scrimmage down, the number of the next down and the necessary line is the same as for the down for which the new one is substituted. (Rule 14, Section 3, Article 1) If there has been a foul by either team during a down and there is a dead ball foul by the other team in the action immediately after the end of the down, it is a double foul, and all rules for enforcement of double fouls apply. (Rule 14, Section 1, Article 9) ANy 2 penalties before or after offset...
5. Any minor infraction against one team will be offset by any minor infraction by the other team. There are instances where infractions by both teams will not offset as one team may be flagged for a major infraction (a late hit, unnecessary roughness, etc) while the other team is flagged for a minor infraction. In cases like this it is possible that the minor infraction is walked off in one direction and then the major is then walked off in the opposite direction. I believe that you will not see this too often, but it is a possibility.
6. From Jerry Markbreit, NFL official: "When both teams foul during a play, the penalties will generally offset and the down replayed at the previous line of scrimmage. Under NFL rules, if one of the penalties is a 5-yard penalty and the other is a 15-yard penalty, the 5-yard penalty is declined by rule and the 15-yard penalty is enforced from the previous line of scrimmage no matter where the ball wound up at the end of the play. The only exception to this five/fifteen rule is when there is a possession change during the down. Under this situation, the penalties would offset" So, normally you would be right, but because the play was a punt, the exception applied.