illegal procedure

American  

noun

Football.

1. a penalty assessed against the offensive team for a technical rules violation, as in assuming an illegal formation.

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Example Sentences

But a Mater Dei illegal procedure penalty and little time left the Monarchs to settle for a 23-yard field goal to tie the score.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2025

Tennessee: The Vols struggled in the big-game atmosphere, especially on offense where crowd noise contributed to a series of false starts and illegal procedure calls.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 5, 2022

Doctors warned her an illegal procedure could endanger her life.

From The Guardian • Apr. 30, 2018

Employees at hospitals in Northern Ireland face life in prison if convicted of carrying out an illegal procedure, and hundreds of women in Northern Ireland travel to Britain, primarily England, every year for abortions.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2015

Now, instead of an illegal procedure that might cost $500, any woman could easily obtain an abortion, often for less than $100.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt