An illegal touching penalty in American football occurs most commonly when an eligible receiver—such as a wide receiver or tight end—voluntarily steps out of bounds during the active play and is subsequently the first player to touch a forward pass thrown by the quarterback. In professional and collegiate rulebooks, this infraction is treated with distinct procedural outcomes. In the National Football League, illegal touching results in a loss of down and a five-yard penalty from the previous spot, whereas the collegiate rulebook typically rules the player permanently ineligible for the duration of that specific passing play without assessing additional yardage.