Ingridiron football,touchdown celebrations are sometimes performed after the scoring of atouchdown. Individual celebrations have become increasingly complex over time, from simple "spiking" of the football in decades past to the elaborately choreographed displays of the current era. A touchdown celebration is a gesture, dance, or routine performed by a player immediately after scoring a touchdown in gridiron football (American or Canadian). It may range from a brief spike of the ball to an elaborate choreographed dance or team ritual. Over recent years, celebrations have also drawn social media attention and been subject to league-rule changes, fines and global influence.[1]
Taunting and disruptive or showy celebration are both offenses in theNational Football League (NFL); as a result, gaudy displays are often frowned upon. If the league views the act as highly offensive, large fines and even suspensions can be issued. In 2006 the NFL, in an effort to cut down on celebrations, amended its rules to include an automatic 15-yardpenalty against any player who left his feet or uses a prop, like a towel, the goal post or post base or more specifically the football.[2] The penalty was called as "excessive celebration", and the yardage was charged against the offending player's team when that team kicked off to the opposing team. The excessive celebration rule was severely scaled back in2017; penalties for excessive celebration will henceforth only be called for using the goalposts as a prop (to avoid inadvertently warping the goalposts out of place), lewd or violent gestures, or prolonged celebrations intended todelay the game.[3] Other restrictions still in place include the usage of outside props and any person not on the active roster for that game leaving the team box to celebrate (including inactive players or coaches); the penalty was also revised in2019 to give the defensive team the option of enforcing the penalty on theextra point attempt, which could potentially push an extra point kick out to 48 yards and make it far less certain to be converted.[4]
Simply "spiking" the ball is not interpreted as excessive celebration unless the ball is spiked towards another player on the opposing team. Jumping onto the outer wall to accept contact from fans, such as theLambeau Leap, is also not considered such, as it is off the field of play.
College football, governed by theNCAA also penalizes excessive celebrations with a 15-yard penalty. NCAA Football Rule 9-2, Article 1(a)(1)(d) prohibits "Any delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves)"; in addition, Rule 9-2, Article 1(a)(2) asserts that "After a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot."[5] Additionally, if a player's actions are considered "unsportsmanlike conduct" the result is dead-ball foul; a "flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct" foul requires player ejection. If a player's nonfootball-related act (e.g. taunting or cursing) causes an opponent to physically retaliate, it is considered fighting and both players are ejected.[6]
The rules for celebrations in theArena Football League were the same as the NFL; no props were allowed. However, choreographed or group dances were often seen after a score.
In theAlliance of American Football, it was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to propel the ball out of the field of play during a touchdown celebration. This "no souvenirs" rule was in place so that the AAF would not lose possession of the electronic tracking apparatus embedded in each ball.[7]
TheCanadian Football League is much more lenient than theNFL when it comes to touchdown dances. It often has very small, if any, penalties handed out to players who celebrate excessively.
CFL end zone celebrations often include more than one player, often a whole wide receiving corps of 4-6 players. Past celebrations have included fiveCalgary Stampeders receivers holding out their hands and mimicking the pouring of drinks from a champagne bottle, then stumbling around as if drunk; another end-zone routine simulated abobsleigh run when receiverJeremaine Copeland sat down and wrapped his legs around the goal-line pylon with the rest of the receiving corps tucked in behind him. The same group also pantomimed a four-seater stationary bicycle, which all players played a role for the bicycle.[clarification needed]
TheWinnipeg Blue Bombers have a celebration whereby players form a circle, toss a football into the air in the center of the circle and then fall directly backwards in unison when the ball lands on the ground as if ahand grenade has exploded.
In the2008 CFL season, the Winnipeg receiving corps did a few celebrations, most notably a version of Duck, Duck, Goose, as well as a walking race across the end zone.[8]
In the2009 CFL season, theHamilton Tiger-Cats did a memorable celebration in Winnipeg, as a fishing boat was at the edge of the end zone. Hamilton scored two touchdowns within a minute, both times got into the boat and celebrating as though they were fishing, literally showboating.[9]
During the August 14, 2010, a celebration by the Toronto Argonauts in which several players mimicked a rowing crew drew an Objectionable Conduct penalty.
In the2018 CFL season,Ottawa Redblacks offensive linemanJon Gott chugged a beer after teammateMossis Madu scored a touchdown during the final game of the regular season against theToronto Argonauts. Although Gott was not penalized, fined or suspended for the action due to the league relaxing its rules on touchdown celebrations, the CFL subsequently revised their policy to prohibit the use of alcohol or drugs or the mimicking thereof.[10]
Long-standing tradition atMcMahon Stadium has a horse run the length of the stadium with a team flag each time the hometownCalgary Stampeders scores a touchdown.[11] TheMontreal Alouettes' touchdown celebration is similar; it features a man carrying an Alouettes flag and running across the field every time the Alouettes score six points atPercival Molson Memorial Stadium. Other stadiums have developed similar traditions. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a small airplane (known as the "touchdown plane"), along with a cannon blast that goes off after every score.[12] The Saskatchewan Roughriders fire smoke mortars from behind the goalposts in celebration of home team touchdowns. The Edmonton Elks have afire engine circle the field after each touchdown, throwing souvenirs into the crowd.
This article needs to beupdated. The reason given is:This list needs updates beyond 2016. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2024)
The "touchdown spike":New York Giants wide receiverHomer Jones is credited as the first player to throw the ball into the field at his feet after scoring a touchdown. He first did this move in 1965, calling it a "spike", and it is said to be the origin of post-touchdown celebrations.[13]
In 1969,Elmo Wright, a junior wide receiver for theUniversity of Houston, began celebrating his touchdown receptions with a 'celebratory' end zone dance. In his rookie year with theKansas City Chiefs, he caught a touchdown pass in a game on Oct. 24, 1971, against the Washington Redskins and celebrated with what some believe was the first end zone dance in NFL history.[14]
The 1980sWashington Redskins "The Fun Bunch": The 1983 Washington Redskins raised the bar on celebrations by performing a group high-five after scoring. The NFL had made previous attempts to curb celebrations but, after the 1983 Fun Bunch, they changed the rules and "excessive celebration" was disallowed. This is one of the few offensive squads that have managed to acquire a nickname.[15]
On December 15, 2003, at a game between the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints, after his second touchdown, Saintswide receiverJoe Horn pulled a cell phone out from under the padding on the goalpost, and pretended to make a call.Unsportsmanlike conduct was called on Horn, and he was fined $30,000 by the NFL as a result.[citation needed]
On January 9, 2005,Minnesota Vikings wide receiverRandy Moss celebrated a touchdown against division rivals theGreen Bay Packers by pantomiming pulling down his pants tomoon the Green Bay fans.[19] Fox commentatorJoe Buck called it "a disgusting act",[20] and Moss would later be fined $10,000 for his actions.[21]
On September 26, 2010, Buffalo Billswide receiverStevie Johnson imitated aminuteman firing a musket and then falling backwards pretending to be shot atGillette Stadium after scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown against the New England Patriots, for which he received a $10,000 fine.[22] In a Week 11 win over theCincinnati Bengals, after scoring his first touchdown, Johnson lifted his jersey to reveal the question "Why so serious?" written on his T-shirt (a quote made famous by The Joker in the Batman movie sequelThe Dark Knight[23]), which was directed at Bengals wide receiversTerrell Owens andChad Ochocinco, who referred to themselves as Batman and Robin,[24] and Johnson was fined $5,000 by the league office for the celebration.[25]
During the2010 and2011 seasons,Green Bay PackersquarterbackAaron Rodgers performed the "championship belt" move after touchdowns, imitating putting on a boxing or wrestlingchampionship belt. After the Packers wonSuper Bowl XLV, Rodgers was presented with a replicaBig Gold Belt by teammates, and in the following weeks, during a scheduledWWE Raw telecast, the Packers were honored with title belts from theWWE itself. In a series ofState Farm commercials that aired during the 2011 season, Rodgers and a State Farm representative argued whether the move was a touchdown dance or the "discount double check" dance to celebrate saving money on insurance.[citation needed]
Rob Gronkowski has been credited in resurrecting thespiking as a touchdown celebration and making it his own.[26] His signatureGronk Spike has been a product of the less restrictive scoring celebrations of the NFL compared to high school and college, and debuted on September 26, 2010, after scoring his second NFL touchdown.[27] It had become a fan phenomenon withMIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference calculating that Gronkowski's arm moves 130° with the football leaving his hand at 60-miles per hour delivering 650 lbs of force.[28][29][30][31]
A November 21, 2013, matchup at theGeorgia Dome between division rivals theNew Orleans Saints andAtlanta Falcons was halted for several minutes when Saints tight endJimmy Graham celebrated a touchdown score with a goalpost "dunk" where he pulled the left side of the standard down, forcing a delay while field maintenance crews brought the posts back level using abubble level and rubber band.[33] The practice of dunking over the goalposts was subsequently made into a penalty due to this delay.
InSuper Bowl XLIX,Doug Baldwin scored what turned out to be theSeattle Seahawks' last touchdown of the season as they failed to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Baldwin celebrated the touchdown with a vulgar pantomime which gained significant attention on social media as the "poopdown", and which earned a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. He commented after the game that the celebration was directed at an unnamed group, who were not present at the game.[35] He was later fined $11,025 for his actions by the NFL.[36]
On December 6, 2015, at Heinz Field,Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiverAntonio Brown charged into the goalpost pylon after returning a punt for 71 yards for a touchdown against theIndianapolis Colts. He was penalized 15 yards for "using the goalpost as a prop" and later fined $11,576 by the NFL.[37]
On October 9, 2016,Cleveland Browns receiverAndrew Hawkins mocked the NFL's excessive celebration policy by, after scoring a touchdown against theNew England Patriots, by simply placing the ball back on the ground and robotically running away.[38]
The “Griddy” dance, created by high school player Allen Davis in 2018 and popularised in the NFL by Justin Jefferson, became a dominant celebration trend in the 2020s.[39]
In 2024, Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, after scoring a 70-yard touchdown, celebrated by performing a thunderous dunk under the goal-posts.[40]
In the 2020s, touchdown celebrations have increasingly gone viral on social media platforms. For example, in February 2025, wide receiver A.J. Brown acknowledged that his end-zone "Cha-Cha Slide" celebration was suggested by quarterback Jameis Winston.[41]
Also, league enforcement continues to evolve. In November 2025, running back Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers was penalised and fined for a pelvic-thrust celebration, reaffirming that even brief or subtle gestures may be flagged.[42]
It has been argued that celebration penalties have affected the outcomes of games.
The September 6, 2008, game betweenWashington andBYU saw the Washington quarterback,Jake Locker, score a touchdown, putting Washington within one point with two seconds to go. Upon entering the endzone, however, Locker threw the ball high in the air. His team was penalized, the referee applying NCAA Rule 9-2, Article 1(a)(2), which states that "after a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot," paragraph (c) of which forbids "throwing the ball high into the air." BYU blocked the ensuing 38-yard extra point attempt and won the game.[43]On December 30, 2010,Kansas State's Adrian Hillburn scored a 30-yard touchdown catch with 1:08 left in the 2010New Era Pinstripe Bowl againstSyracuse, narrowing the score to 36–34. He subsequently saluted the crowd in a quick military fashion and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty pushed Kansas State's 2-point conversion attempt (to tie the game and possibly force it into overtime) back to the 18-yard line. Kansas State then missed the 2-point conversion, and Syracuse went on to win the game.[44]
^dickenz21 (November 9, 2009)."Ticats boat celebration td".Youtube.com.Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. RetrievedNovember 24, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Brady, Jonann (February 4, 2006)."Will the Ickey Shuffle Rise Again? - ABC News". ESPN Sports. RetrievedDecember 20, 2024.The Ickey Shuffle reached iconic status in the late 1980s, when Cincinnati Bengals fullback Elbert 'Ickey' Woods started celebrating his touchdown receptions with a brief boogie
^Gwen Knapp (December 21, 1997)."Dances with Hanks".Sfgate.com. RetrievedOctober 16, 2011.
^Phil Taylor (December 1, 1997)."Basketball Jones".Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived fromthe original on October 29, 2013. RetrievedOctober 16, 2011.
