'Palpably unfair act' NFL rule explained after wild Commanders vs. Eagles NFC Championship moment

The NFC Championship game between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles nearly saw the Palpably Unfair Act come into play. Jeff Darlington of ESPN shared the rule on social media after referee Shawn Hochuli revealed that the Eagles could be awarded a touchdown if the Commanders continued to jump offsides at their 1-yard line.

The Palpably Unfair Act states, “A player or substitute shall not interfere with play by any act which is palpably unfair.” The penalty for the Palpably Unfair Act is, “Offender may be disqualified. The Referee, after consulting the officiating crew, enforces any such distance penalty as they consider equitable and irrespective of any other specified code penalty. The Referee may award a score.”

I’d never heard of a rule that allowed referees to award a team a score as was suggested by the official in the Commanders-Eagles game, but sure enough, here it is. Rule 12, Section 3, Article 4. pic.twitter.com/wmDHe5s2d2

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 26, 2025

The moment happened when the Eagles were about to take a 41-23 lead early in the fourth quarter. When the Eagles were at the 1-yard line, the Commanders jumped offsides three consecutive times before Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run.

“Encroachment, defense No. 93,” Shawn Hochuli said after the Commanders’ third penalty. “Washington has been advised that at some point the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again. For now, it’s a replay of second down.”

The ‘Palpably Unfair Act’ came close to impacting the NFC Championship game

It was a rough day for the Commanders who fell to the Eagles in the NFC Championship game 55-23. They allowed 459 yards of offense and turned the ball over four times. Washington was looking to play in their first Super Bowl since the 1991 season.

The Eagles are heading to their second Super Bowl in three seasons and looking to win their first title since the 2017 season. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley put on a show on Sunday, rushing for 118 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries.

In November, Barkley talked about the key to his success this year. “My whole mantra this offseason and this season, how consistent I can be day-to-day. Whether I rush for 250 yards or I rush for 50 yards, still come in on Monday and do the same thing,” Barkley said after running for 255 yards against the Los Angeles Rams, per the Eagles’ official website. “My story’s not finished and it’s going to keep going. When the season’s all said and done, we’ll look back and smile and be happy with the things I did or didn’t do.”