March 23--REPORTING FROM BOCA RATON, Fla. -- In the NFL, it's now two strikes and you're out.
League owners concluded their annual meetings Wednesday by approving a rule that says two unsportsmanlike conduct calls on a player in the same game will lead to that player being ejected. The rule will be in place for only the 2016 season on an experimental basis.
There were 75 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties last season, a significant uptick from the previous five seasons in which there were an average of about 50 per year.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the rules change underscores the league's commitment to sportsmanship.
"We've had points of emphasis in the past," he said. "They needed teeth. The opportunity for rules to reflect the emphasis everyone in the membership feels is important."
In an effort to encourage touchbacks in the name of safety, owners also voted to move the line of scrimmage on those from the 20 to the 25. That too is on a one-year trial basis.
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