A report stated the NFL is considering banning players from leaving the sidelines to join on-field celebrations. (Getty Images)
The NFL may have eased enforcement of its touchdown celebration rules, but a new report shows the league doesn't want to be viewed as a total pushover when it comes to fun: now the NFL is considering banning players from leaving the sidelines to join teammates for on-field celebrations.
The NFL’s competition committee will talk about the topic during the meeting this week in Indianapolis, sources told The Washington Post. If the committee decides to go forward with the proposal, it will then head to the owners of the teams, who meet in March in Phoenix. The Post noted the proposal “would need to be ratified by at least 24 of the 32 teams.”
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“If you’re on the field, fine,” a source told The Washington Post of the topic. “There would be no changes there. [But] there are some coaches and some clubs who don’t want to have players leaving the bench area to participate.”
If the proposed stipulation is enacted, a player who violates the rule would land his team a 15-yard penalty.
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In 2017, the NFL announced it was relaxing the rules on touchdown celebrations. The players are barred from celebrations that are offensive or those directed at an opposing player. Since then, players have come up with elaborate celebrations including Tennessee Titans player Tajae Sharpe’s demonstration which showed him rolling the football to his teammates who fell down like bowling pins.
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