Unusual Rules That NFL Players Have to Obey

There are rules that all players have to obey during an NFL game, just like in any other sport. Fans of the NFL will probably be very familiar with the everyday rules, but did you know that additional rules apply?

There are a surprising amount of NFL rules which apply to players even when they’re not on the field. Below is a snapshot of just a few of them!

Of course, everyone on the field needs to wear their team's strip, but the NFL doesn't allow much variation for how players can rock the lock. 

Jerseys must be tucked in, which is fair enough as it could be a safety concern. However, they also insist that players wear trousers that cover the whole knee area without folding them or rolling them up. Not content with dictating how long the trousers are, the NFL also specifies the length of the sock (up to the bottom of the trouser leg, just in case you were wondering…).

Sweatbands are allowed around the head, but nothing else is permitted below the helmet, even a bandana.

Not content with telling players what they have to wear while they’re on the field, the NFL also sets down expectations of what players will wear off the field too. 

It includes making all players turn up for every game wearing a full suit, regardless of the weather or personal preference.

You might have seen players with a towel tucked into their waistband and wondered if the NFL allows it. The good news is that towels are perfectly permissible - but only if it meets strict criteria.

The towel must be the special one that's issued by the NFL measuring 6"x8"; other towels of the same size are not allowed. Nothing must be embroidered onto the towel, including names, logos or personal messages. 

Finally, the towel can only be tucked into the front of the waist area, nowhere else.

With such strict rules about attire on the field, it's perhaps not surprising that some players have tried to find a way to get a message out to the public. In the past, this has involved painting messages on their bodies, such as "Find the Cure", which DeAngelo Williams wore on his eye blacks in 2015.

Williams wanted to wear the message as a tribute to his mother, a breast cancer survivor - and no one could possibly object to raising awareness of cancer, right? Wrong. The NFL slapped him with a fine of $6000 for flouting the rule about not having personal messages showing on the body.

It’s kinda nice that the NFL has rules in place which ensure that the opposite is respect at all times. However, there’s quite a lot of people who think the rules go a little bit too far, sucking some of the fun out of the game. 

For example, you can't spin a football as a celebration if you score a touchdown. This is because the action could be viewed as disrespecting your opponent. Penalties for the "unsportsmanlike conduct" of spinning the ball include either a fine or a 15 yard penalty. 

Saluting during a game has the same effect as spinning the ball; more understandably, sexually explicit moves like grinding and twerking are also off-limits.

NFL players aren’t known for their slim and waif-like physique as the game requires brute strength and power. The NFL accepts that players might be heavier than the norm - providing they are within an acceptable range. 

If a player is heavier than the NFL believes is appropriate, they will be fined $630 for every excess pound they're carrying. Team officials have some input into the ideal weight for each player, so there's not a single universal weight limit that applies. 

Players can't be fined twice in a single week, but there's nothing to stop them being fined the following week again if they haven't lost the offending weight!