2006 NFL Yearbook
Rule 4, Section 3, Article 7
Procedures for Crowd Noise:
(13) Obvious inability of the offense to hear team signals because of crowd noise. When
such situations prevail, the following procedures must be followed:
(a) If the quarterback (or other signal-caller) of the offensive team indicates to the
Referee that his teammates cannot hear his signals, and the Referee deems
it reasonable to conclude the players on the offense (other than wide receivers)
cannot hear, the Referee will extend his right arm fully over his head
to indicate disruptive crowd noise. The Referee then will signal a Referee’s
time out and ask the defensive captain to use his best effort to quiet the crowd.
The Referee then will announce over his wireless microphone that he has
asked the defensive team to assist in quieting the crowd so that the game can
continue. He then will return to his position behind the offensive team.
(b) If, after the public announcement described in (a) above, crowd noise conditions
in that same ball possession are deemed by the Referee, with or without
appeal by the offensive signal-caller, to be disruptive to the offense, he again
will use the upraised-arm signal and will announce over his wireless microphone
that any further crowd noise which is disruptive will result in forfeiture
by the defense of one of its remaining time outs in the half or, in the absence
of time outs, a five-yard penalty against the defense for delay of the game.
(c) If, after the public announcement described in (b) above, crowd noise conditions
in that same ball possession are deemed by the Referee, with or without
appeal by the offensive signal-caller, to be disruptive to the offense, he again
will use the upraised-arm signal and will, if such signal does not quiet the
crowd, assess the appropriate penalty provided for in (b) above.
(d) Thereafter if disruptive crowd noise recurs in the same ball possession, the
Referee, with or without appeal from the offensive signal-caller, will use the upraised-
arm signal while remaining in his normal position behind the offensive
formation and without calling a Referee’s time out. Following a momentary
pause to confirm that disruptive noise conditions are continuing, he will
assess the appropriate penalty provided for in (b) above.
(e) If, upon any appeal from the offensive signal-caller, the Referee deems that
noise conditions are not sufficiently disruptive to apply the crowd-noise
procedures, he will deny the appeal and proceed with normal game timing.
The Referee’s signal that he is denying the appeal will be to point toward the
defensive team’s goal line.
(f) During the time out described in (a) above, the offensive team may huddle.
When the offensive team again attempts to run a play, the game clock will start
on the snap. The 40/25-second play clock will not be used.
(g) If, in any ball possession subsequent to the first possession of the game that
involves disruptive crowd noise, the Referee, either with or without an appeal
by the offensive signal-caller, deems it to be reasonable to conclude that the
players on offense (other than wide receivers) cannot hear, the Referee will
signal a Referee’s time out and announce over his wireless microphone that
the defensive team is now subject to appropriate crowd noise penalties. Any
crowd-noise interruption thereafter in that same ball possession will result in
the Referee using his upraised-arm signal, followed, if necessary, by a penalty
against the defense.
(h) Once the procedures of (a) and (b) above have been followed in a given
game, disruptive crowd-noise incidents in any subsequent ball possession
will be handled by the procedures of (g). In effect, for each ball possession
during which disruptive crowd noise occurs (with the exception of the first in
the game), the Referee will make one public announcement after which he
may assess a penalty, and he will thereafter always precede any such penalty
by the upraised-arm signal but not by a public announcement. As specified
in (a) and (b) above, he will make two public announcements before assessing
a penalty on the first ball possession of the game during which disruptive
crowd noise occurs.
(i) In any instance where the Referee is signaling with upraised arm, the offensive
signal-caller may, if he chooses, continue to play. Such signal indicates that
disruptive crowd-noise conditions prevail; it does not automatically stop play
nor does it automatically result in a penalty. Conversely, if the Referee’s arm is
not upraised, the penalty situation does not prevail and the offense must
attempt to continue play.
