From the width of the emitted 656.3 nm Balmer $\alpha$ line, it was found that low-pressure (0.5 torr) capacitively coupled radio-frequency (RF) ${\rm He}/{\rm H}_2$ (95/5%) as well as ${\rm Ar}/{\rm H}_2$ (95/5%) plasmas showed excess broadening throughout the volume (13.5 cm ID $\times$ 38 cm length) of a General Electronics Conference (GEC)-type cell; not merely in the vicinity of the electrodes of ${\rm Ar}/{\rm H}_2$ plasmas as reported by several groups. About 50% of the hydrogen of the ${\rm He}/{\rm H}_2$ was ‘hot’ with an average hydrogen atom energy of 40–50 eV, compared to $\sim$1 eV for pure hydrogen, whereas ${\rm Ar}/{\rm H}_2$ showed a single fast or ‘hot’ 40–50 eV population. The broadening was undiminished at 15 cm from the powered electrode, independent of power over a substantial range, but dependent on the hydrogen concentration. In contrast to the atomic hydrogen lines, no broadening was observed in helium or argon lines. Also, in ‘control’ ${\rm Xe}/{\rm H}_2$ plasmas run in the same cell at similar pressures and absorbed power, no significant broadening of atomic hydrogen, ${\rm Xe}$, or any other lines was observed. Stark broadening or acceleration of charged species due to high electric fields cannot explain the results since: (i) the electron density was insufficient by orders of magnitude, (ii) the RF field was essentially confined to the cathode fall region in contrast to the broadening that was independent of position, and (iii) only the atomic hydrogen lines were broadened. Rather, the data are consistent with a model wherein ${\rm He}^+$ and ${\rm Ar}^+$ act catalytically through a resonant energy transfer mechanism to create ‘hot’ hydrogen atoms in plasmas.