Ok you can tell from my name that I'm not a regular on the football Board but I am on the umpire Board, however, I have a question?

Last Nights Game between the Steelers and the Ravens.

There were 2 taunting Penalties - One on each team.

I was under the assumption that taunting penalties were assessed after the play was over. In other words similar to a dead ball foul.

The Steelers had a first down and the taunting occured after the play, that's why I had a difficult time understanding why the first down was taken away.

I seem to recall that in a Monday Night game Randy Moss of the Vikings was flagged for that "extra celebration" penalty however, the TD counted and the penalty assessed on the extra point try.

What is the PRO Rule for Taunting and does it differ from HS and College? Thanks football guys

BTW what did you think of the Cleveland game? Suppose this were a HS game and the AD <b> ORDERED </b> you back onto the field - Would you go?

Pete Booth

The PROS march to their own drum - but then you knew that. The referee indicated that the taunting was "part of the previous play." That would mean replay the down following enforcement.

That's different from the NFHS rules. In High School football, the unsportsmanlike foul would be enforced from the succeeding spot the same as a dead ball foul, and the down would count.

I saw the Elvis Grbac foul. In Fed play, it would have been 4th down and a bunch, not 3rd down. Not only was it an unsportsmanlike act, but it occurred after he was down. So you have two reasons to count the down: 1) It was an unsportsmanlike conduct foul, and; 2) It was a dead ball foul.

I didn't see the other, but the enforcement would have been 15 yards, count the down. Since the Steelers had reached the line to gain, it would have been 1st and 10 after enforcement, had they been playing under Fed rules.

I can't help you with the NCAA ruling. I can say this: What the coaches, players, and fans see and hear on Saturday and Sunday afternoons affects the wat they deal with us on Friday nights. I know you understand that concept, Pete, because it's no different in baseball.

The NFL has what they call "continuing action."
I continue to not understand it. ;)

Here's Jerry Markbreit's explanation:

"
Twice during the Pittsburgh-Baltimore game, there was a taunting foul called against the offense after the play was over. I'm not familiar with the first one, but the second one was called on the QB for throwing the ball at the defender after being sacked. It was a 15-yard penalty, but they replayed third down. The radio announcers were confused, as was I. Can you shed some light onto the situation? --Chris Mrstik, Alexandria, Va.

The taunting foul to which you refer in the Monday night game was properly enforced. The quarterback was sacked and then threw the ball at a defender. This penalty is part of the play, even though the whistle had blown; and is penalized the same as any other penalty during play. They replayed the down after the enforcement, and it remained third down. The down would not have been replayed had there been a long delay between the end of the play and the foul."

Here's his Q & A column:

http://chicagosports.com/bears/content/story/0,1984,170451,00.html

Bob