NFL Rule Changes - Endzone Celebrations

[Ace_O_Spades]

http://www.tsn.ca/nfl/news_story.asp?ID=160533

NFL curtails end zone celebrations

Associated Press

3/29/2006 6:36:36 PM

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - As a series of plays from the 2005 season flashed on the screen at the NFL meetings, people began to yawn. Examples of ''down by contact'' or minor movement that led to illegal procedure calls just weren't attention grabbers.

They woke up quickly when a tape came up showing Cincinnati's Chad Johnson catching a touchdown pass from Carson Palmer, then picking up a pylon and putting the football from the back line of the end zone.

''He has a better stroke than I have,'' said supervisor of officials Mike Pereira, who was overseeing the video session.

Entertaining as Johnson's putt looked, it won't happen again - at least not without repercussions.

NFL owners voted 29-3 Wednesday to limit end zone demonstrations, including those using props such as Johnson's pylon putt or Terrell Owens' Sharpie signing; or another Owens specialty, sit-ups after a score.

Click here to find out more!


Moves like that will now draw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Also banned: Johnson's proposal to a cheerleader on the sideline - another of his shows last year - because he got down on one knee and doffed his helmet.

On the other hand, his Riverdance routine, one of last season's highlight film bests, will be OK because he stayed on his feet. That kind of thing is still allowed, as is spiking, dunking or spinning the ball after a TD.

Still, there will have to be some innovation by the celebrators.

''I'm looking forward to seeing what Chad will come to celebrate with now,'' Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said after the vote.

Owners and league officials acknowledge the entertainment value of touchdown celebrations, many featuring Johnson, Owens or Carolina's Steve Smith, three of the league's top wide receivers.

But they also had had numerous communications from officials of youth football leagues, saying that more and more youngsters were imitating NFL players. And they said a group of players, most of them defenders, who talked to them during meetings in Indianapolis last month agreed the demonstrations were a bit over the top and should be modified.

The innate conservatism of NFL coaches also played a part in the vote, on which Dallas, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay were the dissenters.

''I think it's needed,'' said San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer, who is entering his 21st season, most of any current head coach. ''The game is about the team, not the individual.''

There also were more substantive rules changes on the final day of the three-day owners meetings, although nothing as flashy as the ban on demonstrations:

They included:

- Allowing down by contact calls to be reviewed by replay to determine if the ball came out before the ballcarrier was down, and who recovered it. In the past, those plays were not reviewable when officials ruled the whistle had ended the play.

- Prohibiting pass rushers from hitting a passer in the knee or below unless they are blocked into him. The officiating department showed low hits that caused serious injuries to Cincinnati's Palmer, Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and Tampa Bay's Brian Griese, although in all cases, those would not draw penalties because the rushers were blocked in such a way that they could not avoid the hits.

- Toughening the horse-collar rule enacted last season. It now bans tacklers from taking down ballcarriers from the rear by tugging inside their jerseys. Last year's rule required that the tackler's hand got inside the runner's shoulder pads. Only two horse-collars were called in 2005 and the officiating department said one was an incorrect call.

- Prohibiting defensive players from lining up directly over centre on field-goal and extra-point attempts to avoid injuries to long snappers.

The teams rejected a proposal aimed at cutting down illegal procedure penalties by eliminating such calls on players flanked outside the line of scrimmage who flinch without the defence reacting. A flinch will remain a five-yard penalty.

The meetings adjourned with little action on finding a successor to commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who announced his retirement a week ago.

Tagliabue, who said he still thinks the next commissioner will be in place by his target date of July, will appoint a committee next week of six to eight owners. It, in turn, will hire a search firm that will interview all 32 owners on what they want in a new commissioner.

That is in contrast to 1989 after Pete Rozelle announced his retirement. He appointed a committee comprised only of insiders and it led to a seventh-month deadlock before Tagliabue finally was elected.

''I think it's great,'' New England owner Robert Kraft said of the search process this time. ''How else can you have 32 people feel part of the process?''

I personally think it's about time. Endzone celebrations last season and the season before with Owens were wayyyy over the top. Reminds me of Baseketball. As the article reminded, young players are imitating these massive egos and performing excessive celebrations at the peewee / high school level.

That's JUST what we need... more team-shattering egos like Owens

I'm also happy about the down by contact rule revision. Any NFL fan knows that it is VERY frustrating when you clearly witness a fumble but the runner was "down by contact"... I'm glad it's reviewable now.

[maleficent]

Some end zone celebrations were fun... anyone old enough to remember Ickey woods and the Ickey Shuffle-- it was entertainment... The fun bunch from redskins - -the group high five was also a little fun.. (and this comes from someone who dislikes the redskins almost as much as I dislike the cowboys )

The packers habit of jumping into the stands is fun... doesn't really hurt anything...

There was a quote a few years ago - when they first started cracking down in the celerations (and Ickey was relagated to doing thei shuffle on the sidelines) is to ACT LIKE YOU'VE BEEN THERE BEFORE...

I'd agree that the monumental egos of some of today's players it's just unsportsmanlike conduct and it has no place in the game...

[Ace_O_Spades]

There's a difference between a tradition like the Lambeau Leap, and high fiving, and doing a dance...

and pulling a sharpie out of your sock and autographing the ball, or pulling a cell phone out of the upright pads, or using all kinds of props in your celebration.

You want to impress the fans, your coach, and your team? Go catch another fucking touchdown and stop looking like a moron.

[The_Jazz]

Some of the celebrations were over the top, but I think that all the ones that you mentioned, Mal, are still legal under the new rule, although I'm not 100% sure about Green Bay. Most of Owen's antics would be out, although I'm not sure about spiking the ball at midfield when he played for the 49ers.

It was interesting watching the tournament games last weekend with a friend of mine who's a huge critic of what he calls "unnecessary celebration". He hates Chad Johnson for that reason, and he's a huge Bengals fan (I know, doesn't make sense to me either but whatever). So George Mason wins, and their players went absolutely nuts, running up and down the court and jumping up on tables. He started off with his usual diatribe about "acting like you've been there before" when my wife pointed out that none of the George Mason guys have ever "been there before" and that this was unprecidented. God, I love being married to a sports fan sometimes (except during baseball season, but that's because she's a dirty South Sider).

[stevo]

How do you get on the list to be interviewed for the new commissioner position? I'd like it.

[Glory's Sun]

Eh, so what if they celebrate? I liked the suggestion about having a celebration clock. Give the guy 7 seconds to do what they want and then flag him. It's fun. Football doesn't just have to be about catching passes.. let the guys have fun or they won't want to play.

[Psycho Dad]

Originally Posted by guccilvr

let the guys have fun or they won't want to play.

I can think of million$ of rea$on$ the$e guy$ will continue to play and none of them have anything to do with it being for fun.

[Aurakles]

Originally Posted by guccilvr

let the guys have fun or they won't want to play.

...oh, they'll play. They do have contracts that they have to honor. Besides, many of these guys are millionaires, so a few thousand bucks in fines will likely not hurt the pocket book that much, unless the fines get outrageous high and other penalties, besides fines, are enforced.

[Glory's Sun]

I didn't say they <i>wouldn't</i> play. I said they wouldn't <b>WANT</b> to play. There's a difference there. What's so bad about an endzone celebration?? Who cares if a player is cocky or talks shit? It's part of the game. Deal with it.

I hate T.O. as much as the next guy but I actually enjoy some of his endzone antics. They bring a smile to the game. Hell they even make the fans *more* into it. You hate T.O. more after he ran to the middle of the star at Dallas, now there's a story line developing on how the fans will react with him there. Will he run to the star now in a Dallas uniform?? I think (while sometimes overdone) that a little endzone celebration isn't that bad of a thing. Hell it gives ya time to drink more beer.

[Psycho Dad]

An end zone celebration is great when it simply involves a spontaneous display of enthusiasm, but when props get involved and there is clear evidence that it was pre-meditated it is about as interesting as a WWF ringside stunt IMO. These guys can find some other way to display their egos that don’t involve spending time in front of the camera on Sunday afternoon.

[ScottKuma]

I personally HATE the end zone celebrations that have developed in the past few years. They're absolutely un-necessary, and send the absolute wrong message to the kids who are playing football these days.

I've thought for about three years that this kind of crackdown should happen - it took the celebrations getting out of hand, and players BRAGGING about their next celebrations (a la Chad Johnson) for the league to do something about it.

One thing I worry a bit about, though...the league's rules would prevent a player dropping to a knee and offering thanks to God. Although I don't LIKE that kind of display, I wonder how long it will take before a player challenges the rule as being discriminatory against his religion.

[Psycho Dad]

About these celebrations sending the wrong messages to kids... I disagree. I've coached kids and if you don't want them to do that crap you tell them that. Unlike spoiled professionals, they usually listen I've found.

[BigGov]

I grew up a Packer fan, and in my opinion the Lambeau Leap is the best celebration in all of sports; an excited player jumps into the stands to be congratulated by all of his teams fans. Hell, the leap was started by Leroy Butler, a Packer fan favorite for over a decade, after he scored one of his 3 career touchdowns (in a game that also secured the Packers a playoff spot). He was just so excited he leaped into the stands. Ever since that game it's been a tradition at Lambeau to jump into the stands after you score a touchdown, and no matter who you are, whether you're paid $10 million or $300,000, the fans will reach down and pull you up.

According to these rule changes a leap would be a 15-yard penalty. That is, to put it in simple terms, BULLSHIT.

Heres to hoping at every home game the Pack kickoff at the 15 yard line a few times a game next year.

[The_Jazz]

Let me preface this with the full disclosure that I'm a Bears fan and therefore hate just about everything there is to hate about the Packers. That said, I think that the leap is one of the coolest things there is. It leds to the college football atmosphere that Lambeau has, something that's sorely lacking around most of the rest of the league.

God, I've got to go take a shower now that I've said something nice about the damn Packers. I feel dirty and used.

[Psycho Dad]

I can't recall where I read it, but I thought I saw somewhere that the Lambeau Leap wouldn't be an excessive celebration. Remember they tried this a few years back and it didn't curb the spiking, dunking and whatnot that most people don't see as a problem.

Edit: According to this article from nfl.com, leaps are excluded.

Dances and leaps into the stands are still allowed. However, in order to avoid slowing down the game, an official will determine when a celebration has gone on too long (at his discretion) and issue a warning for it to stop. If the warning is not heeded, the unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty will be called.

[hunnychile]

It's a bummer. I mean, c'mon....football doesn't need more rules!!!