NFL players will have more freedom to celebrate touchdowns under rule changes announced Tuesday by commissioner Roger Goodell while club owners voted to shorten overtime periods from 15 to 10 minutes.
The moves came as the NFL conducted its annual meeting in Chicago.
In an open letter to fans on the NFL’s website, Goodell said the move was made to loosen celebration restrictions that prompted remarks the NFL stood for “No Fun League” after talking to 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 wrote to fans. “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.”
Using the football as a prop would now be allowed, as would group celebrations involving teammates or celebrating on the ground, such as making a “snow angel” or crawling.
But Goodell also warned that some things are still banned, such as twerking or mimmicking weapons or similar motions, such as the pretend bow and arrow firing used by Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman last season.
“Offensive demonstrations, celebrations that are prolonged and delay the game and those directed at an opponent will still be penalized,” Goodell said.
Owners shrank overtimes in regular-season games as a safety move, easing concerns many players had about playing an extra quarter, notably on Sundays ahead of Thursday games The NFL said 22 of the 83 overtimes played in the past five years have lasted 10 minutes or more, so the move could result in more draws.
Owners also voted to allow two players to return off the injured reserve list during the season instead of one and to eliminate reductions in pre-season roster sizes, now creating one deadline to set a 53-player lineup instead of trimming from 90 to 75 before the last pre-season game.
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