The NFL is considering copying the NCAA and penalizing teams by negating touchdowns for taunting. This comes after Seattle Seahawks receiver Golden Tate began waving at Rodney McLeod at the 25-yard line, on his way to to an 80 yard touchdown.
From Pro Football Talk:
NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino said on NFL Network that he thinks the Competition Committee will explore changing the NFL’s taunting rules to make them more similar to the taunting rules in the NCAA. In college football, if a player commits a taunting penalty on a touchdown, the touchdown is called back and the 15-yard penalty is enforced from the spot where the taunting began.
“A lot of people felt that the touchdown shouldn’t have counted [but] a taunting foul is always treated as a dead-ball foul, meaning whatever happened during the play counts, and the foul is enforced on the next play, which would be the kickoff,” Blandino said. “In college, this action would take back the touchdown. Tate started taunting at the 25-yard line. The college rule, that’s enforced at the spot of the foul, so they’d go from a touchdown to first-and-10 at the 40, which would be a gigantic penalty. The NFL rule, it’s a dead-ball foul, it’s enforced on the kickoff. But I’m sure that’s something that the Competition Committee will look at in the offseason.”
Does this mean Victor Cruz can’t salsa in front of the opposing teams fans when he scores a touchdown anymore? The NFL is doing something very harsh to the game if they actually decide to follow the NCAA and do this.
There is a way to avoid getting penalized though: Don’t taunt your opponents.
