Portal:American football/Terms
An automatic first down is one in which a severe penalty is assessed against the defensive team, even if the penalty does not advance the ball beyond the point needed for a first down. In the NFL and NCAA, the fouls include pass interference and all personal fouls. Under NFHS (High School) rules only roughing the snapper, holder, kicker, or passer and forward pass interference by the defense are penalized with an automatic first down.