Have you ever beaten your in-town rival (maybe, say hypothetically you just upset them 23-20 for the biggest win of your season) and been at a loss for how to properly celebrate? We have the answers to help you celebrate safely and appropriately.

The first thing to keep in mind throughout the celebration process is safety. Injuries occur at an alarming rate, both as a professional and as an amateur. A dangerous celebration is jumping up with your teammates, a common practice in football especially. One of the most important things to remember when considering this method of celebration is to avoid Alex Dobbins at all costs.

Another major factor in touchdown celebrations is the creativity. For anyone who has watched the National Football League (NFL) this year, you may have noticed a stark contrast from this year’s league compared to the so-called “No Fun League” of previous years. that had been known before. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, announced a new rule change allowing group celebrations this season. NFL players answered the call. This year brought new celebrations, along with discussions of what is excessive, both with celebrations and trash talk.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, were especially eccentric with their celebrations this year, they have broken out many creative celebrations including: pantomiming Yahtzee, hide-and-go-seek, locking up a bike, and many dance interpretations. While we may not recommend all of these forms of celebrations, due to their legality in your own league, we do suggest you find inspiration from a few of these. You should also consider including a few ideas of your own as part of your celebration.
There are many ways you can appropriately celebrate in sports. These rules may seem elementary yet, “the NFL flagged and fined 26 players for excessive celebration last year.” The consequences of celebration can range from injuries, to “$12,000 for the simple act of expressing joy after scoring a touchdown.” (Rapp) Celebrations are fun, but many problems can arise from improper form during celebrations. For both players and fans, properly executed celebrations prevent penalty and injury.

As spectators, it’s important to know the policies of the sports league you are watching. For example, in high school games, storming the court or field after an impressive outing is frowned upon ; in recent years, storming the court has resulted in physical altercations at West Hartford high schools.

As players in the game, taunting is frowned upon at all levels. Going by the NBA’s standards, If a player blatantly taunts an opponent, a technical foul shall be assessed. In high school games, extravagant celebrations are looked down by both coaches and officials. Penalties resulting from celebrations can alter the game if called at the wrong time.

Collectively cheering with teammates is standard celebration, but for those who want to go the extra mile there are many things you can do. Try reenacting any popular dance moves such as “hit them folks”, “the whip”, or “freaking it.” When celebrating at the high school level, run over to your school’s student section to maximize cheering at the stadium. Perform actions to resemble sports different than the one you’re playing ; Penn State’s quarterback Trace McSorley celebrates touchdowns by swinging an imaginary baseball bat. All of these are celebrations that, if executed properly, will not result in neither penalty nor injury in all levels of sports.

FIFA has minimal rules for celebrations after a goal has been scored, but that does not mean there are no rules. The regulations have formed over the years and are often left up to interpretation by the referee.

The few rules that FIFA has are: the celebration cannot be excessive, no choreographed celebrations, players must return to the field as soon as possible. Players must be cautioned with inflammatory or provocative gestures, climbing perimeter of the fence, and taking off their jersey.

Chelsea’s Arjen Robben scored a goal for his team, and his celebration led to him jumping into his fan section; this resulted in a yellow card. As stated before the rulings used to be left up to the referee, but due to the recent change the referee had no choice but to punish Robben with a yellow card.

Some people continue to argue that the players who jump into the crowd, and hug fans should not be penalized for embracing the love and excitement from the spectators. Tony Tchani, TFC Midfielder, had jumped over the sideline and went to hug fans. Tchani was issued a yellow card for “unsporting behavior”.

Paul Tamberino, Director with MLS competition department, does not believe that Tchani deserved the yellow card. Tchani ran to the fans who were at the game to support the team, and not egging on any players or opposing fans.

There is also the issue of talking with opposing players.

As far as trash talk goes, no one has been more outspoken as of late than Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. He was put into a headlock by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green. When reporters asked Ramsey after the game about what he said, he replied “I told him on almost every play that he was weak, that he was soft. That is straight facts and he can’t handle the truth. I told him that his time was almost up. I told him he was easy and it was, he had only one catch for 6 yards,” But family is where he draws the line, adding “It’s rumors out there that I said some deep personal stuff, but that’s not true. I get out there and do my thing and talk…. but I don’t talk about nobody’s wife; nobody’s kids or family. I don’t do that.” So where does the line need to be drawn when it comes to talking to opposing players? Ramsey makes the point here that personal is off limits, and we agree. Anything on the field is fair game: the performance, the game, the score.

The bottom line fairly simple: sports are meant to be fun. Play hard, and keep it within the rules. Throwing in a few words or celebrations throughout the game is perfectly acceptable, as long as it is done in a way that is conducive to the rules of the game, and of course, safe for all involved.