JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For years the running joke has been the NFL stands for No Fun League. On Tuesday the league loosened some of those reins by allowing more creativity to go into touchdown celebration.
Starting this season players will be allowed to use the football as a prop, celebrate as a group and roll around on the ground again if they choose.
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In an email from Commissioner Roger Goodell sent to fans in an effort to deliver "a more exciting game experience," the commissioner said the new guidelines came after conversations with more than 80 current and former players.
A 15-yard penalty often was the price paid for excessiveness. While the new celebrations are a welcome change, there is still a line that players will not be allowed to cross. The league will continue to penalize any celebration deemed offensive, including those that embarrass opponents or mimic the use of weapons.
"Players have told us they want more freedom to be able to express themselves," Goodell wrote.