Football Pass Interference Rules: Offensive and Defensive PI Explained

By Sarah Miller · June 1, 2026

What Is Pass Interference?

Pass interference (PI) occurs when a player more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage significantly hinders an eligible player opportunity to catch a forward pass.

Defensive Pass Interference (DPI)

What Qualifies as DPI

Contact that restricts the receiver ability to make a catch: hooking, turning, or pulling the receiver; playing through the back of the receiver; extending an arm across the body (arm bar); cutting off the path without playing the ball.

NFL Penalty

DPI in the NFL is a spot foul — the ball is placed at the spot of the foul, with an automatic first down. This makes it the most impactful penalty in football.

College Penalty

In NCAA football, DPI is capped at 15 yards from the previous spot, with an automatic first down.

Offensive Pass Interference (OPI)

OPI occurs when a receiver pushes off, extends arms to create separation, or blocks a defender before the ball arrives. The penalty is 10 yards from the previous spot and loss of down.

What Is NOT Pass Interference

Incidental contact when both players are looking at the ball, both players have equal position, the ball is uncatchable, and contact within one yard of the line of scrimmage.

The Catch Rule Interaction

DPI requires the ball to be catchable. If the pass is overthrown or underthrown such that neither player could catch it, no interference is called.

Controversial Examples

The 2018 NFC Championship (Rams vs Saints no-call) led to the NFL briefly making PI reviewable in 2019. The experiment was abandoned after one season.