How many yards is the penalty in the NFL for clipping?

The NFL penalty for clipping is a 15-yard penalty. Clipping is a dangerous block delivered from behind, generally below the waist, and the rules restrict when and where an offensive player may legally make that contact.

The foul is designed to protect players from being hit where they cannot see the blocker coming. A legal block may become clipping if the blocker contacts an opponent from behind in a prohibited area or violates one of the rule’s formation and positioning exceptions.

Clipping is often confused with an illegal block in the back. Those fouls are related, but they are defined differently and can carry different penalties. Clipping is also distinct from a chop block, which involves a low block against a player already engaged with another blocker.

The penalty is enforced as a loss of 15 yards, which can turn a manageable down into a difficult field-position setback. Depending on the play and the location of the foul, enforcement may substantially change the series.