NFL to penalize excessive celebrations
Palm Beach, FL (Sports Network) - NFL owners on Wednesday agreed to institute an excessive celebration penalty in an attempt to eliminate the previous premeditated antics that have become commonplace over the past few years.
The move comes one day after the owners voted in favor of keeping instant replay as a tool for helping officials.
Considered unsportsmanlike conduct, the excessive celebration infraction will carry a 15-yard penalty. Such choreographed performances like Terrell Owens pulling a Sharpie marker out of his sock or Joe Horn uncovering a planted cell phone are the target of the new rule.
Any infraction ruled flagrant will constitute immediate ejection from the contest.
Some of the other minor changes approved by the owners include increasing the practice squad from five to eight players; allowing any coach or player to call timeout; extending the grace period to speak to coaches about job openings from five to seven days after the conclusion of the season; ruling a punt or missed field goal a dead ball when it touches the end zone; modifying free kick, fair catch and personal foul rules; allowing wide receivers to wear between Nos. 10-19 even though Nos. in the 80s are available
Palm Beach, FL (Sports Network) - NFL owners on Wednesday agreed to institute an excessive celebration penalty in an attempt to eliminate the previous premeditated antics that have become commonplace over the past few years.
The move comes one day after the owners voted in favor of keeping instant replay as a tool for helping officials.
Considered unsportsmanlike conduct, the excessive celebration infraction will carry a 15-yard penalty. Such choreographed performances like Terrell Owens pulling a Sharpie marker out of his sock or Joe Horn uncovering a planted cell phone are the target of the new rule.
Any infraction ruled flagrant will constitute immediate ejection from the contest.
Some of the other minor changes approved by the owners include increasing the practice squad from five to eight players; allowing any coach or player to call timeout; extending the grace period to speak to coaches about job openings from five to seven days after the conclusion of the season; ruling a punt or missed field goal a dead ball when it touches the end zone; modifying free kick, fair catch and personal foul rules; allowing wide receivers to wear between Nos. 10-19 even though Nos. in the 80s are available
