The NFL held a media briefing Thursday afternoon to address various topics including player safety and points of emphasis. NFL officiating rules analyst Walt Anderson discussed player celebrations and said the league wanted to crack down on inappropriate celebrations, sharing two surprising statistics in the process.
“From the standpoint of our taunting, it was up, I believe, about 55% last year,” Anderson said. “Unsportsmanlike gestures, whether they were simulating or brandishing a gun or inappropriate gestures like a throat slash or unfortunate sexual gestures that were made, those were up almost 133%, so that is a point of emphasis.”
Anderson said officials have spoken with each team about the boundaries of how they can celebrate, with the league tweaking the mandate as the season progresses to point out any needed changes or trends that start to emerge.
According to NFL Penalties, 42 unsportsmanlike penalties were called last season, a significant increase from the 25 called in the 2023-24 season. The Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins were tied for the league lead with four infractions called against them.
Anderson said the league still wants players to celebrate but find alternatives instead of the ones outlawed.
“There are plenty of ways for players to be able to celebrate, and they come up with some very unique and often entertaining ways,” Anderson said. “We want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas.”
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.
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