A penalty in football when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with an offensive player before the snap. This is a 5-yard penalty against the defense with an automatic first down.
From Old French 'encrochier' meaning 'to catch with a hook,' evolving to mean 'trespass' or 'intrude.' In football, it specifically refers to illegally intruding into the offensive side of the neutral zone.
Encroachment is often confused with 'offsides,' but the key difference is contact - encroachment requires touching an opponent, while offsides is just being in the wrong position! Smart offensive linemen will sometimes lean forward to draw encroachment penalties, essentially baiting defenders into free yards.
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