The 2024 NFL season began on Thursday, with the Kansas City Chiefs narrowly defeating the Baltimore Ravens. However, the main focus of the game was the numerous illegal formation penalties.

On Baltimore’s first offensive drive, they were penalized three times for illegal formation—twice against left tackle Ronnie Stanley and once against right tackle Patrick Mekari. One of these penalties canceled out a defensive pass interference against Kansas City, which could have led to significant yardage for the Ravens. Although Baltimore managed to score on a rushing touchdown by Derrick Henry, it came amid several difficulties.

Stanley received another illegal formation penalty in the second quarter, aggravating head coach John Harbaugh.

Following the Ravens’ 27-20 defeat, Stanley expressed his belief that the penalties were inconsistently enforced and that he felt unfairly singled out.

“Based on how the game was unfolding, it felt like they chose me to make an example of,” Stanley told reporters. “From what I observed, they were not calling it evenly on both sides. I believe I was lined up correctly for most of those calls they made.”

Why are illegal formation penalties so frequent?

The NFL rulebook states that a minimum of seven players must be on the line, including two eligible receivers. In the instances flagged, referees determined that Stanley was positioned too far back from the line of scrimmage.

Generally, tackles are allowed some leeway to line up a few feet behind the line, but according to the NBC broadcast, this season the league stressed that referees should pay attention to the positioning of offensive linemen. This heightened scrutiny means offensive linemen across the league will face closer examination this year.

Last season, Kansas City tackle Jawaan Taylor faced heavy criticism for his alignment being too far off the line, resulting in several penalties.

Stanley noted that the Ravens were aware that officials would be vigilant regarding potential infractions, but he still felt that the calls against him were unwarranted.

“We anticipated that the illegal formation penalties would be emphasized,” Stanley explained. “We had discussions with the referees during OTAs, and we understood the guidelines. However, it seemed inconsistent today compared to what we were told earlier by other officials.”

Reactions from former NFL players on illegal formation penalties

“Offensive linemen are going to hate that they are finally enforcing this penalty,” remarked Watt, a former defensive star.

“They are being strict about these tackle alignments. To be fair, Stanley is still positioned too far back!” added Kelce.