Pass interference (DPI and OPI)
Used in both the NFL and college football
Illegal contact that stops a player making a play on a catchable pass. In the NFL, defensive pass interference is a spot foul: the offense gets the ball where it happened. Offensive pass interference is 10 yards.
The spot foul is why DPI swings NFL games more than almost any other penalty. A 50-yard heave that draws a flag becomes a 50-yard gain.
College is different: defensive pass interference there is capped at 15 yards, so the same foul costs far less.
The ball must be catchable. A throw nobody could have reached cannot draw the flag, which is the judgement call fans argue about.
You’ll hear it like this
The flag came on a deep ball, and the spot foul moved them 40 yards in one play.
Sources
Checked 2026-08-07.