The goal post dunk, a favored post touchdown celebration of many NFL players is going bye bye. NFL head of officiating, Dean Blandino announced on the Dan Patrick Show that starting this season, dunks will be a penalty. The NFL currently has a rule against using the ball as a prop and apparently that’s the rule that will be used to ban dunks. So it’s not necessarily a new rule, it’s a new interpretation of an existing one.
The goal post dunk became a concern when New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham knocked the goal post askew while dunking in Atlanta causing a slight game delay to level it out again. The NFL is also considering making the uprights longer, which would make them more top heavy and therefore potentially more likely to fall over entirely.
The NFL also will allow referees to consult with the league office’s command center during replay reviews. Although, the on field refs will still have the final say in whether a call stands or is reversed.