I'm more tired of managers pointlessly arguing calls in baseball, especially the spitting contests at point blank range. Sit down, you old farts, before you bust a vein.
That is different than the former 5 yard penalty for face mask. The 5 yard penalty for face mask was for incidental grabbing of the face mask without twisting, pulling or turning of the face mask. (No longer enforced) The 15 yard penalty for a face mask is when twisting, pulling or turning occurs and if it is flagrant the offending player could be ejected (referee's discretion). (Still enforced) Illegal hands to the face is where hands cannot be thrust forward above the shoulders to contact an opponent on the neck, face or head. Obviously this does not apply to everybody as offensive players use the stiff arm above the neck quite a bit but I have seen them penalized for it being overly aggressive. (enforced since 1977)
http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries is apparently out of date! Automatic First Down - Incidental grasp of facemask. 5 Yards - Grasping facemask of the ball carrier or quarterback. 5 Yards - Defensive holding or illegal use of hands (automatic first down). 15 Yards - Twisting, turning, or pulling an opponent by the facemask.
Yes, it is out of date. http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/04/02/nfl-does-away-with-incidental-facemask-penalty/
