Sportsnaut
The National Football League is heading into another season where tens of millions of eyes will be on it every weekend, as people across the country all sit down to watch the most popular sport in the United States. When the 2025 NFL season kicks off, referees and the league itself will apparently be keeping a close eye on players who don’t follow the league’s sportsmanship rules.
The NFL announced this week that it will be “emphasizing sportsmanship” and cracking down on celebrations or acts it determines to be “violent” or “sexually suggestive gestures” throughout the season.
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“Unsportsmanlike gestures like simulating either shooting a gun or brandishing a gun, or inappropriate gestures like a throat slash, or unfortunate sexual gestures, those were up 133% so that is a point of emphasis. The officials have made it a point of emphasis to the clubs. It’s just one of those areas that the league wants to work actively on. There are plenty of ways for players to be able to celebrate, and they come up with some very unique and often entertaining ways, so we want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas.”
NFL officiating rules analyst Walt Anderson on the league’s crackdown on celebrations (H/T ESPN)
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported in October 2024 that the NFL was increasingly concerned about the “epidemic” of gun-related celebrations around the game. League officials also took notice of how some players’ celebrations included acts that some viewed as “sexually suggestive” and not something league executives wanted aired on television.
While the league didn’t highlight any specific celebrations, wide receiver George Pickens was flagged last season for a celebration after the catch, where he taunted the Cincinnati Bengals with a gesture mimicking the firing of a gun. In addition, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams had a touchdown celebration where he humped the ground.
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Under the revised NFL rules, “any violent gesture, which shall include but not be limited to a throat slash, simulating firing or brandishing a gun, or using the ‘nose wipe’ gesture, or an act that is sexually suggestive or offensive” will result in the player being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, a 15-yard penalty for the team. NFL executive Troy Vincent defended the enhanced policies in April, including the ban of the “nose wipe” gesture, which the league said is affiliated with gangs.
“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. We just have to play by the rules, respect your opponent, respect your teammates and play the game in between the whistles.”
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent, in a video to players over the league’s crackdown this season on celebrations that use ‘violent’ and ‘lewd’ gestures (via ESPN)...
