NFL Hash Mark Rules

According to a 2011 "USA Today" poll, football outranks every other sport in the U.S. in popularity. Each game averages nearly 18 million viewers and the Super Bowl averaged 111 million viewers in 2011. The competitive game consists of several rules, as well as complex plays and strategies. Even the field can be confusing to those that don't know the game -- starting with lines and hash marks.

  1. Hash Mark Purpose

    • Hash marks exist on the field to differentiate yards, which is the main source of measurement in any football game; fields total 120 yards, 10 for each end zone and 100 for the field of play. On each possession, a team gets four downs where they must carry 10 yards -- or 10 hash marks. Every five hash marks, a line stretches across the width of the field, which is known as the yard line. Rarely are hash marks referred to outside of the referees on the field; however, they serve as one of the most critical indicators of ball placement.

    Two Sets and Locations

    • NFL hash marks are larger than other leagues. Two parallel sets of hash marks run down the length of the field. One set runs directly next to the side line: the point that is considered out of bounds during play. Another set runs close to the center of the field. The four hash marks are placed roughly 18 1/2 feet apart from each other.

    Out-of-Bounds Rules

    • Hash marks are especially critical when a player goes out of bounds, which occurs when a running back runs or is pushed out of bounds, or when a receiver catches a ball and subsequently runs or is pushed out of bounds. In these cases, the referee will place the ball on the hash mark that most closely represents the point at which the player ran out of bounds.

    Field of Play

    • The field of play is also restricted based on the internal hash marks. If an offensive play runs and the player is stopped within the middle 18 1/2 feet of the field, then the team plays the ball from where the ball was stopped; however, if the play was stopped outside of these hash marks, then the ball will be returned to the nearest center hash mark on the next play. The reasoning is to allow the majority of the field to be utilized, preventing teams from lining up on the sides of the field.