There’s nothing quite like an opponent penalty in college football. The student section breaks into chants and jeers, mocks the other team and celebrates the call. The players react emphatically, waving their arms in exasperation or pointing downfield in support.
But there is one penalty that is more nuanced than the perceived zero-sum gains from the average foul — pass interference.
The NCAA rule for pass interference is “Team A’s ball at the spot of the foul, first down, if the foul occurs fewer than 15 yards beyond the previous spot. If the foul occurs 15 or more yards beyond the previous spot, Team A’s ball, first down, 15 yards from the previous spot [S33].