There’s a rule in football that I just don’t understand. Let’s say you have team looking at 2nd-and-3, and that team’s running back takes the ball close to a first down. After the play is over, the running back spikes the ball in a defender’s face or does something else to get an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. That’s a fifteen yard penalty, and makes perfect sense. But what doesn’t make sense is how the penalty is applied to the down and distance after the play. If he didn’t get the first down, that would have made it 3rd-and-1, and after the penalty, it would be 3rd-and-16. But, if he did get the first down, they would mark off the penalty before setting up the new down and distance. So it wouldn’t be 1st-and-25; it’d be 1st-and-10, but from 15 yards back.

I don’t understand why it works this way. Offensive penalties should affect down and distance consistently. After getting an unsportsmanlike penalty called on them, an offense shouldn’t get to have a 1st-and-10 and keep their drive going sometimes and a 3rd-and-16 (and be in a lot of trouble) other times. They should set up the new down and distance before marking off the penalty. Then, getting a personal foul or unsportsmanlike call would always be a big blow to an offense, which it should be.