Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle has been fined for an “excessive celebration” featuring two pelvic thrusts.
After scoring a touchdown during Sunday’s win at the Green Bay Packers, Dowdle was penalised for unsportsmanlike conduct.
That resulted in a 15-yard penalty, pushing back the extra-point attempt, and although the kick was missed, the Panthers clinched a 16-13 win with a field goal as time expired.
According to ESPN, 27-year-old Dowdle has also been fined $14,491 (£11,095).
The call against Dowdle disproved a supposed NFL rule demonstrated in a Key & Peele comedy sketch in 2013.
The NFL’s list of prohibited acts includes taunting, any violent gesture such as simulating a gun and “prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations by an individual player or multiple players”.
In the Key & Peele sketch an American football referee, played by Jordan Peele, would throw the penalty flag for a ‘three-pump’ celebration by Keegan-Michael Key’s character Hingle McCringleberry, but two pumps was deemed acceptable.
Key responded on social media, saying: “Rico! Man, you got robbed – you only did two pumps. I’m sorry, man. Now we’re gonna have to write a new sketch.”
Carolina coach Dave Canales said on Sunday: “We’ve got to make sure that we understand the rules. I might have to call up Keegan-Michael Key to get clarification on that part of it.
“But from what I understand, any kind of movement that way, any weapons, or all that stuff is going to get flagged. We’ve got to be smarter about that.”