The NFL passed a new rule this year to ban players jumping over the line to block a field goal, saying it’s necessary for player safety. But the first player this season to get penalized for leaping wasn’t fined for it.
Lions defensive end Anthony Zettel was penalized for trying to leap over the line to block a Cardinals field goal, but the NFL confirmed today that he wasn’t fined.
Zettel’s leap wasn’t much of a leap, and it’s unclear whether the league would fine a player for a more flagrant jump, particularly if he landed on an opponent.
Although the Lions got a 15-yard penalty for the leap, giving the Cardinals an automatic first down, it wasn’t a particularly costly penalty, as Detroit’s defense stopped Arizona and eventually held the Cardinals to a field goal on the drive anyway.