The NFL is seeing more guys ejected from games even if they do not throw punches, and this feels a bit like the preventative measures that were put into place in the NBA to stop fighting. In the NBA, you are suspended if you get up off the bench for a fight. You may not cross the sideline, but you are suspended because you need to stay on the bench and stay out of whatever that fight is.
It is an effective policy that has cut down on a lot of fighting in the game that was once very hard to watch. The NFL is trying to do similar things, and they are throwing out guys who are not throwing punches.
Stop it before it starts
The officials are stopping any fights before they start by ensuring that the players are aware that they could be kicked out of the game even before they start a fight. There are a lot of guys who have gotten into altercations that were not worth their time, and they often come from a part of the field that is not anywhere near the fight. These players are trying to hit each other as hard as possible, and they cannot be allowed to hit each other.
A guy who is thinking of throwing a punch or being aggressive can be ejected so that the team knows that they are not allowed to step out of bounds in the game.
Some loose cannons
The NFL has some Loose Cannons just like any other league, and we must be aware of that when certain guys get kicked out of games. These officials know the guys, and they go into each game prepared to call it properly. The referees could be caught in the crossfire, and they are throwing out players who could endanger them. Referees have a right to protect themselves, and they can do that very effectively when they get guys out of the game who cannot control their emotions.
The game speeds up
No one came to a football game to see a fight because the game is already so physical.
The fighting in the NFL is just not safe for anyone, and guys who are trying to break it up can get just as hurt as someone who got punched. Football does not want to create a game that is too long, and they will ensure that they are cutting down on fighting that makes the game much slower for everyone. The NFL will help keep the game moving along, and you will get more action when you watch it on TV.
How many ejections?
We will see more and more ejections over time until the players figure out how this policy works, and they will start to get in fewer altercations over the course of a season. Someone who has not thrown a punch could still be trouble.