What happens when there is a penalty called a false start? How many yards is the penalty?

A false start in football is an offensive penalty for moving illegally before the snap, and it is usually a 5-yard penalty. The down is replayed after the 5 yards are marked off.

What it means

• The offense commits a false start when a player moves or reacts as if the play has begun before the ball is snapped.

• This is a dead-ball penalty, so play stops right away.

Penalty yardage

• Standard penalty: 5 yards.

• In flag football, some rule sets also list it as 5 yards from the line of scrimmage and a loss of down.

Simple example

If it’s 1st-and-10 and the offense false starts, it becomes 1st-and-15 after the 5-yard penalty is enforced.

TL;DR: A false start is usually a 5-yard penalty against the offense.