Celebration penalties may be more costly in the NFL this season, after a new rule that the league passed today.
The league announced that the owners approved a rule that “Allows teams to elect to enforce on the succeeding try or on the succeeding free kick an opponent’s personal or unsportsmanlike conduct foul committed during a touchdown.”
In other words, if the offense scores a touchdown, and then goes overboard with the celebration afterward and gets a 15-yard penalty, the defense will be able to choose to enforce that penalty either on the ensuing kickoff or on the extra point or two-point conversion attempt.
That’s potentially significant: Previously, the penalty was always enforced on the ensuing kickoff. Now the penalty could be enforced on the conversion attempt, and adding 15 yards to either an extra point or a two-point conversion makes it much more difficult. Add 15 yards to an extra point and it’s the equivalent of a 48-yard field goal, which is no gimme, and add 15 yards to a two-point conversion and it’s the equivalent of converting fourth-and-goal from the 17-yard line, which is extremely difficult.
This new penalty is going to result in some missed extra points, and some coaches angry at players who score touchdowns and then take their celebrations too far.
