No Fun League? NFL loosens restrictions for on-field celebrations
CHICAGO— NFL owners cut the overtime period from 15 minutes to 10, to address coaches’ concern that too many players were exhausted and risking injuries at the end of the extra period. The change covers pre-season and regular-season contests. Playoff games will also use 10-minute time blocks in overtime, but won’t end in ties.
Research suggests the number of games that will go into overtime and end up tied will climb slightly. Over the last five years, with the 15-minute period in use, the league has averaged about one tie game each season. Projections show that could climb to three.
Earlier, the 2021 Super Bowl was moved by the NFL from Los Angeles to Tampa. Five days after the opening of the $2.6-billion U.S. football stadium in Inglewood, Calif., was pushed back to 2020 — construction delays caused by Los Angeles’ uncommonly wet winter were blamed — league owners approved the move.
Owners voted unanimously to give the 2021 game to Tampa and have the Rams’ and Chargers’ new home host the 2022 Super Bowl. The NFL would have needed to waive a rule that prohibits a Super Bowl being played at a stadium before it has hosted two full regular seasons. Instead, it chose to move the game to Tampa, runnerup to Los Angeles in the bidding.
After years of limiting how — and how much — players could celebrate following touchdowns, the league decided to loosen up its rules, allowing players to again use the football as a prop, celebrate as a group and roll around or flap their arms like snow angels on the ground again if they choose.
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.
Asked whether he celebrated the new guidelines approved at Tuesday’s meetings, Goodell laughed. “I did,” he said. “I can’t tell you how.” The league, however, will continue to penalize any celebration deemed offensive or in bad taste, including those that embarrass opponents or mimic the use of weapons.