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NFL Refs Expected to Throw Lots of Flags to Promote Sportsmanship This Season

![The NFL is expected to crack down on poor sportsmanship this season.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5016,h_2821,x_0,y_405/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/si/01k36z4vxdx95s1msaxd.jpg)

The NFL is expected to crack down on poor sportsmanship this season. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The NFL will be cracking down on poor sportsmanship during games throughout the upcoming 2025 season, so expect more flags to police the behavior.

The league is emphasizing the competition between the lines, rather than what they view as the nonsense outside of it, and will be throwing more penalty flags for any violations.

"There's no place in the game to be standing over your opponent. There's no place in the game to have violent gestures. That's not the game of football," the league said in a video released Thursday.

> The NFL says sportsmanship is a point of emphasis for NFL officials this season. Flags will be thrown.

>

> "There's no place in the game to be standing over your opponent. There's no place in the game to have violent gestures. That's not the game of football." [pic.twitter.com/PtgxsaU5LR](https://t.co/PtgxsaU5LR)

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