As a cheerleader, I had the perfect view of Hillsdale’s end zone. So when an Indianapolis Greyhounds player ran into the end zone with a couple high steps, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.
However, the referees didn’t see it that way. A 15-yard penalty was called on the play for high-stepping at the 2-yard line, which pushed the Greyhounds back to the 17-yard line and erased the touchdown.
The punishment aligned with the NCAA’s rulebook, which prohibits “any delayed, excessive, prolonged, or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves).”
The problem was that the high steps were considered “excessive” by the referee. But how can the NCAA consistently enforce this rule when each person has a different opinion on what exactly excessive celebration looks like as opposed to celebrating in the heat of the moment?
The NCAA has had a rule against celebrating before a touchdown since 1994, however, it changed in 2011. Before, the referees would punish the team 15 yards on the extra point, 2-yard conversion, or ensuing kickoff if a player celebrated before the end zone. However, since 2011, the 15-yard punishment has been enforced at the point of infraction, which has taken away many touchdowns.
This rule has been controversial since it was instituted. One of the first times the rule was enforced was during an LSU vs. Florida game in 2011. LSU’s freshman punter Brad Wing faked the punt and ran 52 yards for a touchdown. It was his first collegiate touchdown. He spread his arms out in the air before crossing into the end zone and that was it. The play was moved back to the 25 yard line and his touchdown was taken away for making a taunting gesture.
The rule has taken away touchdowns for waving at the crowd, saluting at the crowd, somersaulting into the end zone, and flinging the ball in the air.
Yes, the official’s call on Saturday was correct based on the rule, but the rule is ridiculous.
Rules are there to keep the game fair and to keep players safe. But celebrating doesn’t hurt anything except feelings. So does that mean rules are to safeguard players’ feelings? If this is true, why isn’t there a rule against sacking? Because I’m pretty sure sacks are embarrassing for a team’s offense, especially when the opposing team gets up right away and celebrates– isn’t that taunting?
Celebration makes the game fun for the players and for the crowd. The whole point of a game is to win, so why is celebrating a job well done a problem?
According to the rulebook, the rule is to prevent players from drawing attention to themselves. But when players celebrate, it’s because they earned the right to- they already did draw attention to themselves with a job well done, so why is it a problem to celebrate?
It was an accomplishment for the Greyhound player to get through our guys with only 9.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter. A few high steps shouldn’t have taken away all of his hard work.
The NCAA should rethink this strict rule and at least go back to the 1994 ruling because this would still prevent players from excessively celebrating before a touchdown, but if they did celebrate in the heat of the moment, at least they wouldn’t get their touchdown taken away for it.
And if the NCAA did get rid of the anti-celebration rule, I’m sure players wouldn’t take it for granted and act obnoxious, seeing as there are coaches like Keith Otterbein out there.
“I love passion and emotion and celebration, but it’s gotta be spontaneous. Rubbing a guy’s face in it or taunting the other players—I’m not at all in favor of that kind of action,” Otterbein said. “Respect your opponent– that’s the bottom line. Prove your worth as a football player and football team between the snap and the whistle by the way that you play, not by the gestures that you do after.”
