Any act of unnecessary roughness or unfair play that is not considered serious enough to disqualify, shall be penalized under this section. The following acts are defined, and classified as Unnecessary Roughness, and are illegal.

After a player has received a third Unnecessary Roughness penalty that player will be disqualified from the game, with only the 15-yard UR penalty being applied.

Article 1 – Piling on, Tackling Out of Bounds

Piling on occurs when a player runs into, throws their body against, or falls upon a ball carrier, after the play has been terminated by the official's whistle, or even before the whistle, where the ball is clearly dead (Rule 1, Section 8, Article 1h (Dead Ball)).

Tackling a player who is clearly out of bounds or throwing the ball carrier to the ground after the ball is dead, is illegal.

When a player in possession of the ball is giving up by sliding, all unnecessary contact must be avoided. The slide must be done in a timely manner to allow defense to avoid such contact.

These fouls are considered to be committed after the ball is dead (Rule 8, Section 5, Article 11 (Unnecessary Roughness and Rough Play – Points of Application)).

Article 2 – Passer

Because the act of passing puts the passer in a particularly vulnerable position to injury, special rules against roughing the passer apply. A player shall be penalized for any act of Unnecessary Roughness to the passer, including but not limited to:

a) A defender is prohibited from forcibly hitting in the knee area or below a passer who has one or both feet planted on the ground, even if the initial contact is above the knee. It is not a foul if the defender is blocked (or fouled) into the passer and has no opportunity to avoid the contact;

Note 1: A defender cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if being contacted by another player.

Note 2: It is not a foul if the defender swipes, wraps, or grabs a passer in the knee area or below in an attempt to tackle him/her.

• b) A defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as stuffing a passer to the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him/her down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes initial contact with the passer, a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him/her down and land on top of him/her with all or most of the defender's weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player's arms.
• c) A defender is prohibited from using the helmet and/or facemask to hit the passer, or use hands, arms, or other parts of the body forcibly in the head or neck area.

Article 3 – Kicker

Unnecessary roughness against a punter, or field goal kicker is illegal. Any excessively rough contact on the Kicker or Punter shall be ruled as Unnecessary Roughness regardless of where the contact is. If a player touches the ball prior to contacting the kicker's plant leg they can still be called for Roughing the Kicker.

Article 4 – Place Kick Holder

The holder of a place kick for a field goal or convert attempt shall be given the same protection as a kicker.

Article 5 – Face Mask / Helmet

It shall be illegal to grasp the helmet of an opponent by closing the fingers on the face mask, chin strap and other helmet opening (ear holes).

Article 6 – Head Tackling, Clotheslining

It shall be illegal to tackle around the head, in the open field, or straight arm tackle to the head, commonly referred to as «clotheslining».

Article 7 – Spearing

Spearing is driving of the helmet into a player who is down, or is held so to be going down, or whose forward progress has been stopped, or who is in a position unable to protect themselves. A player shall be called for Spearing even if committing before the ball is dead, if using the head and helmet as the primary or main point of force.

Article 8 – Head Leading Block or Tackle

• a) Head Leading Block no player, including the ball carrier, shall use the helmet to butt or ram an opponent.
• b) Head Leading Tackle no player shall strike the runner with the crown or top of the helmet.

Article 9 – Use of Hands and Arms

The illegal use of hands and arms shall be ruled as unnecessary roughness if contact is made with the fist, heel of the hand, or elbow, if the blocking arm is cocked by swinging back of the body line prior to contact, or if the blocking arm is driven upward and forward in the manner commonly known as an «elbow smash,» or if the blocker turns their body at the waist or pivots in a manner to add force to the blow, or if contact is made with clasped hands, or if the opponent is struck above the shoulder with the hand or arm in an unnecessarily rough manner including the striking of the head, commonly called a «head slap».

Article 10 – Crack-Back Blocking

It shall be illegal for any Team A player to block an opponent below the waist, or deliver a forcible block, in an area from 5 yards ahead of the line of scrimmage, from sideline to sideline, extending back to the Team A deadline, if:

• 1. The A player is stationed, or in motion, 3 or more yards (metres) outside of the Block Below the Waist Area, at the snap of ball.
• OR 2. The A player is stationed initially 3 or more yards (metres) outside of the Block Below the Waist Area and moves toward the ball so that the A player is less than 3 yards (metres) from the Block Below the Waist Area at the snap of ball.
• OR 3. The A player is stationed initially less than 3 yards (metres) from the Block Below the Waist Area, and either before or after the snap of the ball, moves more than 3 yards (meters) from the Block Below the Waist Area, and then returns to less than 3 yards (metres) from the Block Below the Waist Area.
• AND 4. Moves in the direction of the ball to make the block. (The direction of the ball is toward the position of the ball when it was snapped.)

Note: If the Team A player moves into the Block Below the Waist Area prior to the snap, and comes to a complete stop, the player shall not be penalized for crack back block.

Article 11 – Chop Block

Occurs when two or more members of a team combine to block an opponent; one above the waist and the other below the waist. It is illegal whether the contact is simultaneous or it is delayed while the opponent is engaged with another player, be it high-low or low-high. That engagement may be visual or already established.

Team A – L15 from the appropriate spot, as per Rule 8, Section 5 (Unnecessary Roughness and Rough Play – Points of Application).

Team B – L15 from the appropriate spot, and 1D to Team A.

Article 12 – Protection of Centre

On all kick plays from scrimmage (punts, field goal attempts, and converts) it is illegal to contact the centre on, or within one yard either side of the line of scrimmage.

Note: Hurdling the center in an attempt to avoid contact is not permissible and is to be penalized the same as if there was contact.

Exception the centre has no protection on a quick kick

Article 13 – Horse Collar

• a) Grasping an opponent by the inside of the shoulder pads, or by the inside collar of the jersey.
• b) Grasping the outside of the jersey above the numbers and using this as the primary means of causing a change in the ball carrier's direction.

Article 14 – Illegal Block, Hands to Face

No player of either team may forcibly thrust their hands forward above the frame to contact an opponent on the neck, face, head, or facemask.

If the initial contact is to the chest but the hands ride up to the neck, face, head, or facemask and the contact is forcible or prolonged, it shall be a penalty.

Article 15 – Blocking from the Rear

Blocking from the rear is blocking an opponent, other than the ball carrier, from the rear, by charging into the opponent's back with the body, or throwing the body across the back of the legs. The application of penalty is determined by the point of initial contact, and the official who rules on the play must see the play in its entirety. It is illegal except as follows:

• 1. the block occurs in the Close Line Play area, is made by a player who was positioned in this area when the ball was snapped, and the contact is above the waist. OR
• OR 2) the initial point of contact is on the side or front of the opponent. OR
• Or 3) the initial point of contact is from the rear, due to the action of the opponent, such as turning his/her back on the blocker after the blocker has committed to the block.

Note 1: The position of the head of the blocker in front of, or behind, the opponent does not determine whether the block is legal or not. The point of contact is the determining factor, modified by 1, 2 and 3 of this article.

Article 16 – Player in defenseless posture

It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture.

• a) Players in a defenseless posture are:
  • 1. A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass;
  • 2. A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect themselves or has not clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, they would no longer be a defenseless player;
  • 3. A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped;
  • 4. A player attempting to field a kick in the air;
  • 5. A player on the ground;
  • 6. A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return
  • 7. A quarterback at any time after a change of possession
  • 8. A player who receives a block when the blocker is moving toward or parallel to their own end line and approaches the opponent from behind or from the side.
  • 9. A player who is protected from an illegal crack block
• b) Prohibited contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture is:
  • 1. Forcibly hitting the defenseless player's head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder regardless of whether the defensive player also uses their arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him/her; or
  • 2. Lowering the head and making forcible contact with the top/crown or forehead/"hairline" parts of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player's body; or
  • 3. Illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player (1) leaves both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into opponent, and (2) uses any part of the helmet (including the top/crown or forehead parts) to initiate forcible contact against any part of opponent's body. Note: This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be a defenseless players.

Note 1: The provision of b-2 does not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or helmet in the course of a conventional tackle or block on an opponent.

Note 2: A player who initiates contact against a defenseless opponent is responsible for avoiding an illegal act. This includes illegal contact that may occur during the process of attempting to dislodge the ball from an opponent. A standard of strict liability applies for any contact against a defenseless opponent, even if the opponent is an airborne player who is returning to the ground or whose body position is otherwise in motion, and irrespective of any acts by the defenseless opponent, such as ducking head or curling up body in anticipation on contact.

Article 17 – Blindside Block

It shall be illegal for any player to deliver a forcible block on an opponent while moving back towards or parallel to their own dead ball line anywhere on the field.

Article 18 – Tourist Hits

A player shall be penalized for unnecessary roughness when they commit unnecessary physical contact, including but not limited to, running into, diving into, cut blocking or throwing body on a player who is out of the play or would not have reasonably anticipated such by an opponent, before or after the ball is dead.

It is incumbent upon players to know when the play is dead and whether their actions will be deemed reasonable under this rule. If a player is many yards away from the ball carrier and has stopped playing, or the play is clearly going dead and the player is not participating in the play, they should not reasonably expect to be hit.

Special attention should be provided to kickers and quarterbacks who have given up on the play. An opponent should not see this as an opportunity for a "free shot".

Article 19 – Blocking below the waist

It shall be illegal to block an opponent below the waist except when the block occurs in the block below the waist area, by a player positioned in this area at the snap of the ball, and when the block is above the knee.

Note: A player coming from outside this zone must come to a complete stop in the zone, prior to the snap of the ball to be considered positioned in the zone.