NFL taunting rule could be tightened during the offseason

(UPI) -- The NFL’s Competition Committee will meet in the offseason to discuss changing the league’s taunting rule to resemble NCAA policy, meaning a taunting penalty on a scoring play could result in the points being nullified.

Taunting was a hot topic after Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate mockingly waved at Rams safety Rodney McCloud while running toward the goal line during his 80-yard touchdown on Monday Night Football.

Tate was flagged for taunting, but the touchdown still counted.

“A lot of people felt that the touchdown shouldn’t have counted [but] a taunting foul is always treated as a dead-ball foul, meaning whatever happened during the play counts, and the foul is enforced on the next play, which would be the kickoff,” said Dean Blandino, the head of officiating for the NFL.

“In college, this action would take back the touchdown. Tate started taunting at the 25-yard line. The college rule, that’s enforced at the spot of the foul. So they’d go from a touchdown to first-and-10 at the 40, which would be a gigantic penalty. The NFL rule, it’s a dead-ball foul, it’s enforced on the kickoff. But I’m sure that’s something that the Competition Committee will look at in the offseason.”

Seattle coach Pete Carroll, formerly coach at the University of Southern California, is not in favor of the change.

“I think that’s a terrible thing to do,” Pete Carroll said. “I think it puts too much pressure on the officials to change the game like that. I think that would be terrible to ask on a back judge to decide if he should take away a touchdown in a game. That should not be part of what an official has to do.”

Seattle beat the St. Louis Rams 14-9. Tate apologized after the game.