The NFL is further cracking down on coaches who remove their masks on the sidelines during games.
Coaches who confront referees while not wearing their masks properly will now face a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, according to a report.
The league sent a memo to all 32 clubs informing them of the new penalty, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The new sanction comes in addition to already existing consequences for violating mask protocols, such as fines, the forfeiture of draft picks, and even suspension.
Refs are new empowered to "take administrative or officiating action" in the event they are confronted by a coach or player "inappropriately," the note said, according to Pelissero.
Last week, the NFL Referees Association sent a tough-worded email to the league calling for harsher penalties for coaches who get in the face of officials while not wearing masks.
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Several such examples were mentioned in Friday's memo, Pelissero reported, which was sent by NFL Senior Vice President of Officiation Perry Fewell.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh turned heads in Week 3 when he unleashed an unmasked tirade only inches away from an official during his team's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick pulled a similar stunt in his team's Week 4 contest against the Chiefs -- only days after quarterback Cam Newton tested positive. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore later tested positive after playing in the game and sharing a brief postgame embrace with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
The NFL season has been thrown into uncertainty after a large outbreak hit the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots later reported their two cases, while the Las Vegas Raiders also had one. The New York Jets on Friday reported a presumptive positive test, prompting the cancellation of practice.
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