Definition: 1. The bars attatched to a football helmet that cover a players face.
2. A foul for grabbing an opponent's face mask.
Examples:
There are two levels of severity for face mask penalties. One results from incidental grabbing of a face mask where it is immediately released, and results in a five-yard penalty. A major face mask foul usually results from a player grabbing an opponent by the face mask and using it to pull the player down or twist his head around and results in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.