Deciphering Offensive Holding

In NCAA football, offensive holding is covered under Rule 9, Section 3, Article 6 of the NCAA Football Rules & Interpretations.

The rule defines several situations that constitute offensive holding. Here are the main forms:

Types of Offensive Holding (NCAA)

1. Restraining by Grasping or Encircling
   • Grabbing and restricting a defender with the hands, arms, or body.
2. Hooking, Jerking, or Pulling
   • Hooking the arm around an opponent or jerking/pulling them to restrict movement.
3. Tackling
   • Taking a defender to the ground in a way that prevents them from pursuing the play.
4. Obstructing with Hands or Arms
   • Using hands, arms, or body to push from the outside and lock onto the defender illegally.
5. Material Restriction
   • Any action where the blocker prevents the defender from moving freely toward the ball carrier or quarterback (e.g., grabbing a jersey, locking onto shoulder pads).

Exceptions (Not Holding)

The NCAA also specifies that use of the hands or arms is legal if:

• Hands are inside the frame of the defender’s body.
• There’s no “material restriction” of movement.
• Hands slide off immediately once contact is lost.
• The blocker is legally pushing, not grabbing.

Penalty

• 10 yards from the previous spot (or from the spot of the foul if it’s behind the line).
• Replay the down (unless it results in a loss of down, e.g., if committed by the offense in its own end zone, it becomes a safety).

⚖️ So, the “categories” of offensive holding are essentially grasping, hooking, tackling, pulling, or otherwise restricting.

Here’s a simple chart that shows the difference between legal blocking and offensive holding under NCAA rules:

🏈 NCAA Football – Offensive Holding Breakdown

Penalty

• 10 yards (spot or previous spot, whichever is worse for the offense).
• Safety if it occurs in the offense’s own end zone.