The NFL penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct is 15 yards. Officials usually enforce the loss of yardage from the succeeding spot after the play, although the exact enforcement point can vary with the situation.
Unsportsmanlike conduct covers behavior that violates the league’s standards of sportsmanship, including taunting, excessive celebrations, abusive language or gestures, and certain actions involving officials. The penalty is separate from ordinary five- or ten-yard procedural fouls and is among the NFL’s more serious common penalties.
If the foul occurs after a touchdown or another scoring play, the 15 yards are generally enforced on the ensuing kickoff. A flagrant act can bring additional discipline, including disqualification, and some categories of conduct can count toward the NFL’s two-unsportsmanlike-fouls ejection rule.
The penalty is often confused with a personal foul, but both commonly carry a 15-yard mark-off. The distinction is the type of prohibited behavior described by the rule.