NFL Strengthens Code of Conduct: More Emphasis on Fair Play
The NFL has announced its intention to prioritize fair play and sportsmanship during the upcoming season. The league will focus on penalizing violent gestures and those with sexual or inappropriate connotations. Unsportsmanlike gestures such as simulating shooting a gun or displaying it, or inappropriate gestures such as a throat slash, or unfortunate sexual gestures, increased by 133%, so it’s a point of emphasis. Officials have made it a point of emphasis for the clubs. It’s just one of those areas that the league wants to actively work on. There are many ways players can celebrate, and they come up with very unique and often entertaining ways, so we want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas. In April, the NFL expanded the prohibited actions, including the “nose-wipe” gesture, which, according to league executive Troy Vincent, is related to gangs. The unsportsmanlike conduct rule now states that any violent gesture, including but not limited to a throat slash, simulating shooting or displaying a weapon, or using the “nose wipe” gesture, or a sexually suggestive or offensive act, will be sanctioned.There is no place in the game to stand on your opponent. There is no place in the game to have violent gestures. That is not the game of football. We just have to play by the rules, respect your opponent, respect your teammates, and play the game between the whistles.
Troy Vincent, NFL Executive
