2024 NFL season · final · regular season
NFL penalties by team, 2024
The Jets were flagged the most in 2024: 137 accepted penalties for 1,134 yards, 8.1 a game. The Rams the fewest, 91. The average team: 6.4 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, 2024
| # | Team | Penalties | Per game | Yards | Drawn | Net | Most flagged for | Calls worth, wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jets | 137 | 8.1 | 1,134 | 104 | −33 | False Start (20) | −0.16 |
| 2 |  Ravens | 132 | 7.8 | 1,120 | 97 | −35 | Offensive Holding (29) | −1.26 |
| 3 |  Titans | 130 | 7.6 | 1,025 | 119 | −11 | False Start (29) | −0.78 |
| 4 |  Cowboys | 128 | 7.5 | 921 | 132 | +4 | False Start (29) | +1.48 |
| 5 |  Seahawks | 119 | 7.0 | 987 | 121 | +2 | False Start (28) | +0.46 |
| 6 |  Texans | 119 | 7.0 | 981 | 106 | −13 | False Start (24) | −0.13 |
| 7 |  Browns | 119 | 7.0 | 915 | 108 | −11 | False Start (26) | −0.42 |
| 8 |  Panthers | 118 | 6.9 | 947 | 120 | +2 | False Start (24) | +0.69 |
| 9 |  Dolphins | 114 | 6.7 | 926 | 125 | +11 | Offensive Holding (31) | −0.04 |
| 10 |  Giants | 112 | 6.6 | 928 | 106 | −6 | False Start (26) | +0.01 |
| 11 |  Packers | 112 | 6.6 | 836 | 113 | +1 | Offensive Holding (23) | −0.30 |
| 12 |  Bills | 112 | 6.6 | 833 | 127 | +15 | False Start (28) | −0.09 |
| 13 |  Patriots | 111 | 6.5 | 916 | 100 | −11 | Offensive Holding (25) | −1.25 |
| 14 |  49ers | 111 | 6.5 | 843 | 79 | −32 | Offensive Holding (27) | −1.00 |
| 15 |  Saints | 110 | 6.5 | 1,003 | 115 | +5 | Offensive Holding (23) | −0.73 |
| 16 |  Bears | 110 | 6.5 | 867 | 107 | −3 | False Start (28) | −0.33 |
| 17 |  Vikings | 110 | 6.5 | 845 | 140 | +30 | False Start (25) | +1.11 |
| 18 |  Commanders | 109 | 6.4 | 933 | 105 | −4 | Offensive Holding (21) | −0.92 |
| 19 |  Buccaneers | 108 | 6.4 | 839 | 94 | −14 | False Start (25) | +0.37 |
| 20 |  Broncos | 107 | 6.3 | 925 | 101 | −6 | Offensive Holding (19) | −0.50 |
| 21 |  Lions | 106 | 6.2 | 973 | 113 | +7 | Defensive Pass Interference (18) | +1.63 |
| 22 |  Eagles | 103 | 6.1 | 793 | 84 | −19 | False Start (21) | −0.10 |
| 23 |  Steelers | 102 | 6.0 | 823 | 125 | +23 | False Start (21) | +0.82 |
| 24 |  Bengals | 101 | 5.9 | 780 | 101 | 0 | False Start (19) | +0.54 |
| 25 |  Falcons | 99 | 5.8 | 828 | 122 | +23 | False Start (22) | +0.15 |
| 26 |  Jaguars | 99 | 5.8 | 787 | 105 | +6 | False Start (21) | −0.34 |
| 27 |  Raiders | 96 | 5.6 | 807 | 117 | +21 | Offensive Holding (20) | +0.17 |
| 28 |  Chargers | 96 | 5.6 | 718 | 101 | +5 | Offensive Holding (19) | −0.10 |
| 29 |  Chiefs | 94 | 5.5 | 829 | 107 | +13 | Offensive Holding (29) | −0.21 |
| 30 |  Cardinals | 92 | 5.4 | 806 | 100 | +8 | Offensive Holding (27) | +0.11 |
| 31 |  Colts | 92 | 5.4 | 668 | 92 | 0 | False Start (18) | +0.32 |
| 32 |  Rams | 91 | 5.4 | 798 | 113 | +22 | Offensive Holding (19) | +0.78 |
What gets flagged, 2024
Every accepted penalty in the 2024 regular season by type: 3,499 flags in 272 games, 12.9 a game for both teams together.
| Penalty | Accepted | Share | Called most on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Holding | 682 | 19% | Dolphins (31) |
| False Start | 679 | 19% | Titans (29) |
| Defensive Pass Interference | 306 | 9% | Commanders (19) |
| Defensive Holding | 175 | 5% | Lions (11) |
| Unnecessary Roughness | 172 | 5% | Saints (13) |
| Delay of Game | 168 | 5% | Panthers (13) |
| Defensive Offside | 157 | 4% | Jaguars (10) |
| Illegal Formation | 128 | 4% | Titans (8) |
| Roughing the Passer | 98 | 3% | Ravens (7) |
| Neutral Zone Infraction | 91 | 3% | Packers (6) |
| Face Mask | 79 | 2% | Seahawks (6) |
| Offensive Pass Interference | 71 | 2% | Raiders (6) |
| Ineligible Downfield Pass | 70 | 2% | Ravens (6) |
| Illegal Use of Hands | 68 | 2% | Ravens (5) |
| Illegal Shift | 61 | 2% | Browns (7) |
Questions
Which NFL team has the most penalties in 2024?
The Jets: 137 accepted penalties for 1,134 yards in 17 games, 8.1 a game.
Which team has the fewest penalties?
The Rams, with 91 for 798 yards (5.4 a game).
What is the most common NFL penalty?
Offensive Holding: 682 accepted in the 2024 regular season, 19% of all flags. Then false start (679) and defensive pass interference (306).
Did the flags decide games?
Some did. Weighted by the moment each came, judgment calls (holding, pass interference, roughing; not false starts) helped the Lions most, +1.63 wins, and hurt the Ravens most, −1.26. 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.
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Penalties by team, every season · Is the NFL rigged? · Referee crews · 2024 luck rankings