The neutral zone is a space between the offensive and defensive lines that extends the entire width of the field. The zone's depth is defined by the length of the football, nose to nose, as it sits on the field at the line of scrimmage.
Think of it as an imaginary line that is as thick as the football's length, not much unlike the first-down lines you see superimposed on your screen during a football game. Teams must line up behind their nose of the football, with the exception being the center, who holds the ball before play begins.
One specific penalty uses the term: A neutral zone infraction is called against defenders only and occurs when a player is lined up up or flinches in the neutral zone when the ball is snapped. Encroachment differs from the neutral zone infraction in that a defender touches an offensive player in the neutral zone, and offsides differs from the penalty in that a player is actually moving across or has crossed the line of scrimmage as the ball is snapped.
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