2020 NFL season · final · regular season
NFL penalties by team, 2020
The Cardinals were flagged the most in 2020: 112 accepted penalties for 858 yards, 7.0 a game. The Patriots the fewest, 62. The average team: 5.6 a game.
Accepted penalties, as the league counts them: declined and offsetting flags aren’t included. “Drawn” is flags on a team’s opponents. The last column is ours: what the judgment calls were worth to the team in wins, each weighted by the moment it came (a flag in a decided game counts for nothing). Referee calls, 2020
| # | Team | Penalties | Per game | Yards | Drawn | Net | Most flagged for | Calls worth, wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cardinals | 112 | 7.0 | 858 | 104 | −8 | False Start (32) | +0.15 |
| 2 |  Jaguars | 107 | 6.7 | 1,071 | 78 | −29 | Defensive Pass Interference (18) | −0.51 |
| 3 |  Eagles | 107 | 6.7 | 853 | 112 | +5 | False Start (25) | +1.21 |
| 4 |  Chiefs | 105 | 6.6 | 919 | 97 | −8 | False Start (22) | −1.46 |
| 5 |  Ravens | 104 | 6.5 | 961 | 77 | −27 | False Start (20) | −1.19 |
| 6 |  Bills | 102 | 6.4 | 941 | 86 | −16 | Offensive Holding (23) | −0.07 |
| 7 |  Jets | 101 | 6.3 | 952 | 99 | −2 | Offensive Holding (15) | −0.20 |
| 8 |  Browns | 100 | 6.3 | 870 | 84 | −16 | False Start (21) | −0.14 |
| 9 |  Saints | 98 | 6.1 | 1,005 | 64 | −34 | Defensive Pass Interference (19) | −1.24 |
| 10 |  Raiders | 97 | 6.1 | 843 | 95 | −2 | Defensive Pass Interference (13) | −0.20 |
| 11 |  Cowboys | 96 | 6.0 | 849 | 91 | −5 | False Start (14) | −1.35 |
| 12 |  Lions | 95 | 5.9 | 860 | 103 | +8 | False Start (16) | −0.94 |
| 13 |  Panthers | 95 | 5.9 | 752 | 85 | −10 | Offensive Holding (12) | +0.04 |
| 14 |  Colts | 94 | 5.9 | 899 | 86 | −8 | Offensive Holding (20) | −0.44 |
| 15 |  Bears | 88 | 5.5 | 777 | 95 | +7 | False Start (18) | +0.75 |
| 16 |  Washington | 87 | 5.4 | 697 | 85 | −2 | False Start (13) | +0.52 |
| 17 |  Titans | 86 | 5.4 | 783 | 103 | +17 | False Start (16) | +0.61 |
| 18 |  49ers | 85 | 5.3 | 731 | 79 | −6 | Offensive Holding (20) | −0.54 |
| 19 |  Chargers | 85 | 5.3 | 710 | 93 | +8 | False Start (12) | +1.90 |
| 20 |  Buccaneers | 84 | 5.3 | 715 | 94 | +10 | Neutral Zone Infraction (14) | +0.51 |
| 21 |  Packers | 84 | 5.3 | 684 | 79 | −5 | Offensive Holding (18) | +0.86 |
| 22 |  Seahawks | 84 | 5.3 | 662 | 94 | +10 | False Start (19) | 0.00 |
| 23 |  Bengals | 83 | 5.2 | 675 | 99 | +16 | False Start (23) | −0.51 |
| 24 |  Falcons | 82 | 5.1 | 723 | 91 | +9 | False Start (16) | +0.45 |
| 25 |  Vikings | 82 | 5.1 | 650 | 83 | +1 | Offensive Holding (19) | −0.69 |
| 26 |  Steelers | 81 | 5.1 | 691 | 103 | +22 | Offensive Holding (18) | +0.58 |
| 27 |  Broncos | 81 | 5.1 | 670 | 106 | +25 | False Start (13) | +1.06 |
| 28 |  Giants | 81 | 5.1 | 634 | 88 | +7 | False Start (17) | −1.29 |
| 29 |  Texans | 80 | 5.0 | 619 | 76 | −4 | False Start (18) | −0.13 |
| 30 |  Dolphins | 74 | 4.6 | 635 | 85 | +11 | Offensive Holding (13) | +0.66 |
| 31 |  Rams | 71 | 4.4 | 655 | 77 | +6 | False Start (15) | +1.07 |
| 32 |  Patriots | 62 | 3.9 | 534 | 82 | +20 | Offensive Holding (13) | +0.53 |
What gets flagged, 2020
Every accepted penalty in the 2020 regular season by type: 2,873 flags in 256 games, 11.2 a game for both teams together.
| Penalty | Accepted | Share | Called most on |
|---|---|---|---|
| False Start | 497 | 17% | Cardinals (32) |
| Offensive Holding | 459 | 16% | Bills (23) |
| Defensive Pass Interference | 308 | 11% | Saints (19) |
| Defensive Holding | 168 | 6% | Panthers (11) |
| Unnecessary Roughness | 160 | 6% | Eagles (8) |
| Neutral Zone Infraction | 154 | 5% | Buccaneers (14) |
| Defensive Offside | 145 | 5% | Packers (10) |
| Roughing the Passer | 122 | 4% | Jets (14) |
| Delay of Game | 119 | 4% | Texans (8) |
| Illegal Block Above the Waist | 90 | 3% | Broncos (7) |
| Face Mask | 68 | 2% | Browns (7) |
| Offensive Pass Interference | 62 | 2% | Giants (7) |
| Illegal Contact | 58 | 2% | Dolphins (5) |
| Illegal Use of Hands | 48 | 2% | Panthers (6) |
| Illegal Formation | 47 | 2% | Ravens (6) |
Questions
Which NFL team has the most penalties in 2020?
The Cardinals: 112 accepted penalties for 858 yards in 16 games, 7.0 a game.
Which team has the fewest penalties?
The Patriots, with 62 for 534 yards (3.9 a game).
What is the most common NFL penalty?
False Start: 497 accepted in the 2020 regular season, 17% of all flags. Then offensive holding (459) and defensive pass interference (308).
Did the flags decide games?
Some did. Weighted by the moment each came, judgment calls (holding, pass interference, roughing; not false starts) helped the Chargers most, +1.90 wins, and hurt the Chiefs most, −1.46. Flag counts and call luck are related, not the same: across 224 team-seasons since 2019 the correlation is −0.26. A false start costs five yards; a pass interference flag on third down late in a close game can swing it.
Other seasons: 2026 · 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2019
Penalties by team, every season · Is the NFL rigged? · Referee crews · 2020 luck rankings