MOST PENALIZED NFL TEAMS
See who keeps it clean, and who lives on the wrong side of the whistle.
The Infraction Index™ uses penalties and penalty yards to measure how heavily NFL teams, divisions, and conferences are penalized, measured against the prior season's league average of 100.
Scores above 100 indicate a team is being penalized more heavily than the prior season's league average; scores below 100 indicate it is being penalized less heavily.
How the Infraction Index™ Works
The Infraction Index™ combines penalties and penalty yards into a single measure of how heavily teams are penalized. Each part is measured against the prior season's league average, which is set at 100.
Scores above 100 indicate a team is being penalized more heavily than the prior season's league average; scores below 100 indicate it is being penalized less heavily. Only enforced penalties count; declined and offsetting penalties are excluded.
The visual scale runs from dark gray for lower scores, through white at 100, to yellow for higher scores.
Infraction Index™ figures are calculated by Pick A Penalty from nflverse data (CC BY 4.0).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Infraction Index™ for the NFL?
It is Pick A Penalty's score of how heavily NFL teams are penalized, combining penalties and penalty yards in each game, measured against the prior season's league average of 100. It ranks the most penalized NFL teams, along with the league overall.
What does 100 mean?
100 is the prior season's league average. An Index of 110 means a team is being penalized 10% more heavily than that average. Above 100 is where the interesting teams live.
Is the ranking a raw penalty count?
No. Teams are ranked by Infraction Index™, which combines penalties and penalty yards per game, so the team with the most total penalties is not necessarily first. A team with fewer flags that cost more yards can rank higher.
Which penalties count?
Only enforced penalties count; declined and offsetting penalties are excluded. Each team's enforced penalties and the yards they cost are averaged per game, then compared with the prior season's league average of 100.
Where does the data come from?
Infraction Index™ figures are calculated by Pick A Penalty from nflverse data, published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Pick A Penalty is not affiliated with the NFL or nflverse.
How often is it updated?
During the season, it's updated at least weekly, often more.