How is a penalty for illegal forward pass enforced?

The penalty for an illegal forward pass involves both a loss of down and yardage enforcement. In this case, the enforcement is 5 yards from the previous spot, as well as a loss of down. This means that if the offense commits an illegal forward pass, they not only lose the opportunity to advance the ball on that down, but they also face an additional setback of 5 yards from the original line of scrimmage.

This reflects the nature of the infraction, as the illegal forward pass disrupts the play beyond the intended rules of how passing should occur in football, thus warranting both a yardage penalty and the loss of the down. Understanding this enforcement is crucial for players and coaches, as it directly affects play calling and strategy moving forward in the game.