Say for example two players from the same team get into an on-field spat that would normally draw, say, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, will the ref throw a yellow flag and pace off the negative yardage?
(BTW, this is the only example of an intra-team infraction that I can think of right now, but perhaps there are other types of penaltyworthy conduct between teammates. Feel free to suggest them.)
Thanks all in advance.
I have seen a lot of teammates yell at each other on the sidelines and on the field in games I’ve been to (mostly high school level).
And never has an official called a penalty on that team. The point of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in football is to penalize a team for acting inappropriately toward the other team or the officials.
If you can’t get along among your own team, you’ve got bigger problems.
I guess it’s a matter of deterrence value–if they didn’t call roughing the passer, hit out of bounds, block to the back, etc., players would be doing those things even more often, because they can get a competitive advantage whenever they get away with it.
If you keep instigating fights with your own teammates, the deterrence factor is that your coaches will think you’re some kind of headcase–and unless you’re a superstar, the coaches might bench you, berate you in front of the whole team, or cut you for being a pain in the ass that distracts the team during the game.
I know nothing about NFL but in the codes I do know (rugby union/league) I would imagine that your example would not result in any penalty as the infringment isn’t causing any problems for the opposing team. More likely there would be a monetary fine or something settled after the game.
Bob and Philo, thanks for your insights (and I do appreciate them, really) but I’m asking about what the rules say – not your prior first-hand experiences, suggested coaching practices or the theory behind sports penalties.
To elaborate on the example I gave – unsportsmanlike conduct (again, the only example that comes to mind) – say two receivers collide because one misran his route. They get into an argument that escalates fast and one guy slugs the other guy. Now, IMO, a good case could be made that this behavior is worthy of a penalty because it reflects badly on sportmanship in general and the game of professional football in particular.
But my opinion does not matter. It’s what the rulebook says that counts. So, if the ref throws a flag would the penalty stick?
From the NFL digest of rules.
All except for 7 refer specifically to “opponent”, which leads me to believe that an Unsportsmanlike penalty could be called if it was just a player making a general ass of himself, but if it’s on the sideline and not interefering with the game, I doubt the officals would get involved.
Damn the NFL for not putting their rule book online.
One would assume that if two teammates started fighting, their team could be called for delay of game.