In (American) football, is it better for an offensive lineman to chance a holding penalty than play it clean and let the chips fall?

If the guy’s going to get past you, it’s better to hold at least some of the time. There are many situations where you don’t want to let a guy through. Better to take the 5 yards and replay the down than lose the yardage from a sack. I’m sure it’s coached.

There are obvious and subtle methods of holding, and I’m sure players practice those and are coached on them as well.

Bob is absolutely correct. Especially if you are a left tackle (and your quarterback is a righty), there are times when, if you get beaten, your quarterback could take a brutal hit and maybe fumble.

One small correction, though. A holding penalty is 10 yards.

Yes, many coaches will tell you to hold the guy and take the flag if you’re quite sure the defender will get past you and “blow up” the play. This is especially true with critical blockers- the guy whom the the play is designed to follow, usually guards and tackles. Also this is common in Spread or Option offenses, where backfield timing is key (lots of dumps, tosses, and screens- which mean an unprotected vulnerable ball) and an errant linebacker in the backfield will almost certainly cause a fumble.

An interisting fact about offensive lineman which most people don’t know is that the left tackle is the second highest paid position in the NFL second to the quarterback. I guess you can say he is really paid to protect his quarterback. Considering this and the value of the quarterback I think yes hold before letting the quarterback take the hit.