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The NFL Has Banned Controversial Celebration For 2025

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Mar 27, 2025 9:38 AM ET

There are lots of reasons people call the NFL the "No Fun League" and the league's most recent celebration ban only appears to be proving that to more people.

This week the NFL sent out a new rules report outlining minor changes to certain rules. One such rule was the explicit banning of the "nose wipe" celebration most often used by Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

According to ProFootballTalk, the "nose wipe" is a gang sign associated with the infamous Bloods gang.

"The NFL sent the full rules report to its 32 teams this week and included is an addition to the unsportsmanlike conduct rule. In Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(d) the NFL has made the “nose wipe” celebration illegal," PFT's Charean Williams wrote yesterday.

"The nose wipe is a gang sign associated with the Bloods, indicating someone is untrustworthy."

According to the full rules report sent to NFL teams this week, the “nose wipe” celebration is now a 15 yard penalty for being a “violent gesture”

Which, I mean, c’mon. pic.twitter.com/JJ0EEgxpQr
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) March 26, 2025

Whether the NFL's intentions are good or not, users on social media are largely dismissive of the rule change and have been mocking it for the better part of 12 hours:

"My kids used to be straight A students They saw CeeDee Lamb do the nose wipe celebration Now they dropped out of school and 2 of them are doing time in the slammer, all because they saw Lamb wipe his nose," one user mocked.

"The rule committee must all have 1-3 year olds. Trying to wipe their noses usually does turn borderline violent," another joked.

"My 4 year old son Chris saw Jerry Jeudy wipe his nose after converting a first down at midfield , and 2 day later he got kicked out of school for selling fent," Barstool's PFT Commenter wrote.

"No Fun League. (expletive) cry babies! the NFL is such a joke. I wish I didn't love football so much!" wrote a fourth.

Under the new rule, a 15-yard penalty will be enforced for using the gesture.

Will anyone be penalized by the new rule in 2025?

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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