NFL officials to again strictly enforce taunting violations
The NFL says it is going to crack down on players who taunt others during the game.
This is nothing new, as the league has made stances like this in previous seasons.
The league said in a video that players who receive two taunting penalties will be ejected from the game and that player will also be subject to fines and suspensions when deemed necessary.
The taunting penalty is assessed a15 yards. Taunting is under the rules of unsportsmanlike conduct, which is "any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship."
The league's officials are also going to be looking more closely at illegal use of helmet, which is a 15-yard infraction and an automatic first down.
"The NFL Players Association, coaches and competition committee have all made a strong statement regarding respect among everyone on the field," competition committee chairman Rich McKay said. "We saw an increase in actions that clearly are not within the spirit and intent of this rule is not representative of the respect to opponents and others on the field. Game officials have been instructed to strictly enforce the taunting rules, and players and coaches are reminded that two taunting penalties committed by an individual player will result in automatic disqualification. In addition, the taunting player may be fined and/or suspended depending on the severity of the actions."
There were only 10 taunting penalties called last season, while false start was the most penalized infraction.