What Is Holding In Football?

For a player or a coach, it is very important to understand what is holding in football. Football is a popular team sport that involves kicking a ball to score a goal. Many players often find it difficult to understand what constitutes holding just by watching a game. In today’s post, I will tell you what is a holding in football in detail. Here, I will explain the meaning of holding, the types of holding, and examples of holding. Make sure you don’t get confused between holding and blocking as both these terms are different. You can keep on reading to learn what is holding in football.

What Is Holding In Football?

The term holding in football is most commonly called a penalty. It means the illegal use of the hand or arm to restrain another player who is not in possession of the ball. However, holding is prohibited in most football leagues. This is because it does not allow fair play of the game and increases the risk of injury.

You can keep on reading further to learn more about what is a holding penalty in football.

There are two types of holdings in football; offensive holding and defensive holding. Do you know what is offensive holding in football? It means that an offensive player restricts a defensive player by grabbing them in a way that prevents them from defending. Basically, it is a 10-yard penalty and a replay of the down. There are many variations of offensive holding penalty such as offensive tackling a defender or bringing them to the ground. Sometimes, the player even grabs the defender’s body or jersey to prevent them from moving.

There is a football penalty signal for an offensive holding. It is bending the left arm upwards with a closed fist next to the face and grabbing the left wrist with the right hand. Keep on reading further to learn more about what is holding in football defensive.

Now, you must be wondering what is defensive holding in football. Defensive holding is the opposite of offensive holding. It occurs when a defensive player holds and restricts the offensive player who is not holding the ball or is catching a pass. There will be no defensive holding penalty when the defense tackles the player who’s holding the ball or is catching a pass. On the other hand, the defensive holding penalty is a 5-yard penalty and an automatic first down for the offense.

Offensive and defensive holding penalties were the most common penalty issued in the 2021 NFL season. Read on to learn more about what is holding in football with examples.

Examples Of Holding Football

I hope now you’ve understood what is holding in football. There are many situations in a football game in which holding can be called. As it is such a common penalty, there are some types of holdings that happen more frequently.

Here, I’ve given some examples of offensive holdings.

  • Grabbing and tackling the opponent
  • Hooking or twisting the opponent
  • Grabbing and turning the opponent
  • Pulling the opponent to the ground

Here are some scenarios that explain defensive holdings.

  • Holds an eligible receiver who’s attempting to run a route
  • Grabs the opponent’s jersey
  • Holds a player preventing him from carrying out a block

However, these aren’t the only ways in which a holding penalty occurs. Only the referees will decide what is and what isn’t a holding penalty by each team.

Football Holding Vs Blocking

After knowing what is holding in football, let’s learn the difference between blocking and holding. In blocking, a player pushes other players in an attempt to hold them back or disrupt their path. Just like the name implies, players begin to hold onto the other player preventing them to make any moves.

What Is The Penalty For Holding In The Football?

The penalty for holding the football in the field of play is an offensive holding penalty. It results when there are fewer than 20 yards between the lines of scrimmage and the offense’s end zone.

What Is Holding In College Football?

The term holding in college football is similar to the term holding in the NFL. The penalty for offensive holding in college football is the same as the NFL (10 yards). However, the penalty for defensive holding in college football differs from that of the NFL defensive holding rules.

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FAQ

What Is Considered Holding In Football?

Use his hands or arms to materially restrict an opponent or alter the defender’s path or angle of pursuit. It is a foul regardless of whether the blocker’s hands are inside or outside the frame of the defender’s body.

Is Grabbing A Jersey Holding?

(Note) Holding is the action of a player wrapping his arms around an opponent or using a free hand to clutch, grab or hold the stick, jersey or body on the opponent.

What Is Holding On Defense In Football?

Rule Summary View Official Rule

It is a foul for defensive holding if: a defensive player tackles or holds any opponent other than a runner, except as permitted in Article 5.

Why Is Holding Illegal In Football?

In gridiron football, holding is the illegal use of the hand or arm to restrain another player who is not in possession of the ball. Holding is prohibited in most football leagues because it does not allow fair play of the game and increases the risk for injury.

Conclusion

In the above post, I’ve explained what is holding in football. As American football has a lot of penalties, one of the most commonly called penalties is Holding. It is the illegal restraining of a player who is not in possession of the football. However, holding can either be called the offense or the defense. Offensive holding results in a 10-yard penalty while defensive holding results in a 5-yard penalty. Well, holding is a judgment call and how it is called depends on the specific situation and crew. Once you know what is holding in football, you can teach your players what constitutes offensive and defensive holding.

What is the difference between blocking and holding in football