Penalties never result in a score for the offence. For example, a point-of-foul infraction committed by the defence in their end zone is not ruled a touchdown, but instead advances the ball to the one-yard line with an automatic first down. For a distance penalty, if the yardage is greater than <answer>half the distance to the goal line</answer>, then the ball is advanced <answer>half the distance to the goal line</answer>, though only up to the one-yard line (unlike American football, in Canadian football no scrimmage may start inside either one-yard line). If the original penalty yardage would have resulted in a first down or moving the ball past the goal line, a first down is awarded.
How many penalty yards are awarded when the ball is nearer the goal line than the usual penalty yardage?
half the distance to the goal line