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The NFL Is Focusing On Taunting

August 23, 2021

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Hey Friends,

The National Football League (NFL) releases a rule change and point of emphasis video to all players & officials each year, typically explaining boring things like minor tweaks to kickoff formation, and rules officials should pay special attention to.

But this year, they have instructed officials to specifically crackdown on taunting, which they define as “baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams.”

Here’s what NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay said in the video:

“The NFL Players Association, coaches and competition committee have all made a strong statement regarding respect among everyone on the field.”

“We saw an increase in actions that clearly are not within the spirit and intent of this rule, and not representative of the respect to opponents and others on the field. Game officials have been instructed to strictly enforce the taunting rules, and players and coaches are reminded that two taunting penalties committed by an individual player will result in automatic disqualification.

In addition, the taunting player may be fined and/or suspended depending on the severity of the actions.”

Most players probably brushed it off as more of a warning than a hard-and-fast rule, but with the majority of preseason football now over, it appears the NFL wasn’t messing around.

Here’s a video from earlier in the preseason, when Indianapolis Colts Running Back Benny LeMay was penalized and subsequently fined $3,667 for flexing after carrying multiple defenders with him on a 10-yard run.

I understand the general thought process behind the rule — don’t allow players to do small things (taunt) that can turn into big things (fights) — but there are a few issues.

Not only is the rule subjective in nature, but Benny Lemay is a former undrafted free agent; he has been cut multiple times and has never made an active NFL roster. If you don't show emotion after a run like that — fighting for a roster spot & paycheck — you are probably not human.

We could dig more into this specific example, but the tweet above went viral, and I’ve been told that LeMay’s veteran teammates have committed to helping him pay the fine. So instead, I thought it would be interesting to quickly run through how NFL rules are set, implemented, and governed.

Through each collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) negotiate an on-field code of conduct for all players, including a clearly defined schedule of infractions and fines.

Every player receives a copy of the fine schedule before each season, which lists major infractions, the resulting minimum fines, and the appeal process. Players then sign a form acknowledging that they agree to follow the code of conduct and understand the violations and fines.

Here’s a look at the current fine schedule.

Contrary to popular belief, the NFL has procedures in place to try and actively avoid fines. For example, they employ two former players at each stadium to help address uniform issues before the game and communicate warnings with team officials via instructional video to help players avoid fines in the future.

Still, even without including suspensions, the NFL has collected an average of $4 million annually from 2011. The interesting part? They don’t keep the money, donating it to The National Football League Foundation each year.

The NFL Foundation is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football - from players at all levels to communities across the country.”

Most Fined Players In NFL History (not incl. suspension)

  1. Adrian Peterson: $2,073,529

  2. Kam Chancellor: $1,161,027

  3. Jamal Lewis: $760,000

  4. Kelechi Osemele: $570,588

  5. Vic Beasley: $534,425

Ultimately, the code of conduct serves as an integral part of the NFL. It helps players avoid injuries, protects the league’s brand, and generally makes the broadcast cleaner for mass viewership distribution.

Still, fans want to see the players have fun. The results were fantastic when the NFL relaxed celebration rules in 2017 to “allow players more room to have fun after they make big plays.” The clips went viral, and it made the fan viewership more enjoyable.

We all understand that taunting is part of the game, to some degree. The key is finding the right balance between good viewership and potentially harmful behavior.

Have a great day, and I’ll talk to everyone tomorrow.

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