The NFL is the No Fun League no longer.
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced on Tuesday the league will relax rules on celebrations, permitting spontaneous moments after touchdowns and big plays which previously led to penalties and fines.
Examples of celebrations permitted under the new guidelines include using the football as a prop after a touchdown, group demonstrations and celebrating on the ground (like snow angels, for instance).
“Today, we are excited to tell you about another change that comes after conversations with more than 80 current and former players: we are relaxing our rules on celebrations to allow players more room to have fun after they make big plays,” Goodell said in an online letter to fans, which also contained gifs of permissible celebrations – no doubt to show middle-aged league executives’ effortless rapport with youth culture.
“We know that you love the spontaneous displays of emotion that come after a spectacular touchdown. And players have told us they want more freedom to be able to express themselves and celebrate their athletic achievements.”
Goodell added that “offensive demonstrations” or celebrations that delay the game or are directed at an opponent will still be penalized in an effort to promote “sportsmanship, clean competition, and setting good examples for young athletes” – language that should put Randy Moss and Hingle McCringleberry on alert.
