Quick question: How do you know when there’s holding on the offense in the NFL?
Answer: The ball has been snapped.
It’s true that under slo-mo review of nearly every offensive snap in the NFL you’d be able to make a case for offensive holding, which is what makes this particular penalty so controversial. Fans tend to spot it when their quarterback chucks a duck for a pick, then tend to deem the same infraction as ‘part of the game’ when their defense returns the favor.
So what exactly is offensive holding?