Illegal formation penalties, explained: Why Ravens offensive linemen were repeatedly flagged early in Chiefs game

The Ravens scored the first touchdown of the 2024 NFL season when Derrick Henry plowed into the end zone on a five-yard run.

It came despite some early struggles with illegal formation penalties.

Baltimore was flagged for using an illegal formation three times on its first drive of the 2024 season. All three saw the officials flag one of the Ravens' offensive linemen for lining up behind the line of scrimmage as opposed to on it.

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That the officials called some extra illegal formation penalties isn't a surprise. The NFL made them one of the league's points of emphasis coming into the season, meaning there would be a crackdown regarding the alignment of offensive linemen in 2024.

Here's what to know about the illegal formation penalty and it will likely be a staple of the early part of the NFL season.

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Illegal formation penalties, explained

The NFL has fairly simple illegal formation rules for the offense. There are three principles by which the offense must abide, according to the NFL's official rulebook :

• It must have seven or more players on the line;
• Eligible receivers must be on both ends of the line, and all of the players on the line between them must be ineligible receivers;
• No player may be out of bounds.

"The line" is a reference to the line of scrimmage, where each of the team's five offensive linemen must be aligned before the play. If they are behind the line, they can be flagged for an illegal formation, which results in a five-yard penalty.

In the past, NFL officials gave a little leeway to players on the end of the offensive line. That meant tackles could be a half-step to a step further back of the line and typically, a penalty wouldn't be called.

Because of the NFL's point of emphasis, offensive tackles are being evaluated under heavier scrutiny. They must have their helmet aligned with at least the belt line of the center to avoid being flagged.

The Ravens couldn't do that on their first drive of the game, and it nearly proved costly.

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Ravens illegal formation penalties vs. Chiefs

The Ravens were called for their first illegal formation penalty on the second play of the game. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley lined up a hair too far back, and Shawn Hochuli's crew was quick to break the flag out and penalize him.

Four plays later, Ravens right tackle Patrick Mekari was called for the same issue. The Chiefs declined that penalty, as Lamar Jackson's screen pass to Derrick Henry was tipped and fell incomplete, but it created a sense of unease for viewers trying to familiarize themselves with the new emphasis.

On the next play, Stanley was once again whistled for being positioned too far back. The penalty offset a big-time downfield pass interference call on the Chiefs, which could have hurt the Ravens, and many — including NBC color analyst Cris Collinsworth — expressed that the penalty was being called "razor-sharp" by the crew.

Indeed, Stanley was lined up close to the right spot on that play, and his helmet may well have been in line with the center's belt line had he bent down. It appeared that his inside leg was at the appropriate depth as well.

Even so, Hochuli's crew saw enough to call the penalty, putting the Ravens in a tough, third-and-9 situation.

The Ravens managed to overcome those penalties in the game's early stages, but they will need to clean up their operation to avoid putting themselves behind the 8-ball in a tough road environment.

And rest assured that between Week 1 and Week 2, John Harbaugh will address the NFL's emphasis on illegal formations with his offensive line.