- Super Bowl. Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked: What are best and the worst shows in Super Bowl history?
- Super Bowl. Super Bowl Commercials Cost: How much can an ad cost during the Super Bowl this year?
When getting to grips with the rules of NFL and American Football, it's crucial that defensive linemen know the rules for offside and neutral zone infractions to avoid costing their team.
The two rules are simple, but can be confusing as they address similar concepts regarding the start of a move and the positioning which they are allowed to take up and when they are allowed to move.
Related:
- Super Bowl 2025: date, time, halftime show and everything you need to know
- Where to watch the 2025 Super Bowl? TV channel and streaming where you can watch the game
- Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show: Everything you need to know about Kendrick Lamar's show
- Super Bowl Winners List: All the teams that have won the Super Bowl by year
- Gatorade Color Super Bowl: Odds, history and more about the traditional Gatorade bath
What is offside in football?
Offside is given when any part of a defender's body is in or beyond the neutral zone or beyond a restraining line when the ball is put in play.
This makes it one of the most common infractions which defenders face in football.
It mostly impacts defensive ends who may have a hand or part of their helmet over the line, or they may simply just misjudge the line of scrimmage when going in for a tackle.
What is the neutral zone in football?
The neutral zone is a six-inch space between the defender and the ball at the start of a down, and defenders must be careful not to invade that space because it can lead to a neutral zone infraction.
An infraction can be given when a defender moves beyond the neutral zone before the snap and is in line with or closer to the quarterback or kicker than any offensive lineman.
It can also be awarded if the defender causes an offensive player to react to protect themselves or if the defender has already received a warning about entering the neutral zone.
In the case that no offensive player reacts and the defender returns to the correct position, outside the neutral zone, no infraction is given.
What is the difference?
In order to be offside, a player only needs to be marginally in or beyond the neutral zone and does not need to cause a player to react, only to influence play.
A neutral zone infraction can be awarded before any play has evolved and without directly influencing the ball.