Game Day Chick Tip: Trips and Clips and Holds…Oh My!

It’s a crucial third down play in the fourth quarter for your beloved team (Go Saints Go!) and as the play unfolds those pesky yellow flags go flying. The referee comes out doing more moves and gestures than the cast of “Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo.” You’re not really sure what it all means but from the groans in the crowd, you know it ain’t good.
This, my friends, must NEVER happen again. The penalties in football are as important to the game as the actual plays. Penalties can win games lose games and sometimes end games. Knowing the signals and what they mean inevitably help you better understand the game itself.
To help you out, we’ve broken down just a few of the signals of the game. That way, you can save all the “fakin it” for those private moments with your boyfriend.

-If the referee repeatedly moves his right foot behind his left one in a jaunty manner, he’s not gearing up for his “Lord of the Dance” routine at midfield. That’s the signal for Tripping and results in a 10 yard penalty.

-If the talking zebra, aka the ref, rotates his forearms over and over in front of his body like John Travolta’s classic move in Saturday Night Fever, that’s called a False Start and it results in a 5 yard penalty.

-Say a team is backed up on the 2 yard line, the quarterback drops back to pass and is expertly manhandled into the end zone. You’ll notice the ref strike a dashing pose pressing his palms together over his head. He’s just indicated a Safety. That’s two points and a free kick for the team on defense.

Do you hunger for more penalty knowledge? Check out this handy animated rulebook to learn the sign language of the NFL. Before long, you won’t need the crowd to groan to know if something bad happens. Oh and in case you were wondering, that little hand gesture Michael Vick gave his fans last season wasn’t a penalty signal, it was just plain old foul!