Say goodbye to the nose wipe gesture in the NFL.
The NFL sent a report to teams this week highlighting new rules or changes for the 2025 season. In the section regarding rules for unsportsmanlike conduct infractions, the “nose wipe” gesture has been listed as a prohibited act.
The issue comes up under Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(d). Section 3 concerns unsportsmanlike conduct, and Article 1 discusses prohibited acts. “There shall be no unsportsmanlike conduct. This applies to any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship. Such acts specifically include, among others:
(d) Any violent gesture, which shall include but not be limited to a throat slash, simulating firing or brandishing a gun, or using the “nose wipe” gesture, or an act that is sexually suggestive or offensive.
Here is a look at the nose wipe celebration in action, as performed by CeeDee Lamb:
Lamb is not happy about the nose wipe celebration now being considered a banned move.
“smh, i have plenty in mind,” Lamb wrote on X in response to the decision. “SMH” is an acronym for “shaking my head.”
