Rule Definition
The PERFORM statement allows calling paragraphs with several call levels. However, Cobol is not a recursive language and can not manage paragraph recursive calls correctly. When a paragraph is called via a PERFORM statement, then the calling statement is saved into a stack and the control flow jumps to the beginning of the called paragraph. At the end of this paragraph, then the control flow returns to the calling statement. A recursive call can alter the calling statement stack and the control flow may be unpredictable. Furthermore, all data are global to the program. Then, if a paragraph called at level 'n' modifies a data, then this data is modified for all the call levels. For all these reasons, it is better to replace paragraph recursive calls by loops.

Remediation
Try to remove recursive algorithms in the program and replace them by iterative algorithms.

Violation Code Sample

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       PROCESS.
           MOVE 0 TO A.
           PERFORM PROC-01.
           GOBACK.

       PROC-01.
           ADD 1 TO A.
      * If condition is true then there is a recursive call
           IF A < 13 THEN
               PERFORM PROC-01
           END-IF

Fixed Code Sample

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       PROCESS.
           MOVE 0 TO A.
           PERFORM PROC-01 UNTIL A = 13.
           GOBACK.

       PROC-01.
           ADD 1 TO A.

IBM Enterprise Cobol for z/OS - Language Reference