Unsportsmanlike (taunting) or not?

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[QUOTE=MJT]

Originally Posted by parepat

Those are almost funny. All 4 officials who responded giving their opinion said to flag it.

Yes, excessive, just as HLin NC said. It does depend on how close the defender is, but you are asking for more trouble if you let it go unless you are pretty sure he did it cuz he thought he might be tackled. This is what causes the other team to retaliate and bad crap may start to happen.

The TD will still count, but the try will be 15 yards further back and the kid will know he should not be so self-centered next time.

BTW, how many times does a player, running at full speed near the goal line, get tackled from behind and not make it in the EZ. He is going to end up in the EZ anyway. The dive is fine if trying to beat a defender to the goal line, but not if you have them behind you and you are right at the goal line.

Along those same lines...if A-82 is going in for a TD on a long pass reception and holds the ball back to B45 who is in chase starting at the 5 yard line, do you flag and assess the penalty from the start of the taunting or do you toss the flag in the end zone and mark it off on the try?

My first impression is that you'd asses it from the 5, but that seems a bit excessive to wipe out a sure score for the sake of taunting.

Don't have the rule book handy and this just popped into my head as I read through this thread. Thoughts?