Niecy Nash-Betts Has Questions About Football Rules — Just Like Us

Football is a complicated game and the most ardent football fans are a little murky on some of the rules. Luckily for Niecy Nash-Betts, Travis and Jason Kelce are happy to help her break it all down.

The actress, who starred alongside Travis, 35, in FX’s Grotesquerie appeared on his and Jason’s “New Heights” podcast on an episode that aired on Wednesday, October 30, and the brothers answered her questions. (Travis is in his 11th season as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, while Jason, 36, retired from the NFL in 2022 after an eight-year career as center for the Philadelphia Eagles.)

First up, Nash-Betts wanted the siblings to clarify what exactly a false start is, asking if that was when a player moves before the whistle.

She wasn’t far off. As Jason explained, it’s not the whistle (not really a thing in football), but the snap that begins the play.

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“If you become set as an offensive player and you think the ball is getting snapped and you move or flinch, that is a false start,” he explained.

Travis added that the penalty comes when the offensive player moves forward before the play begins. On the other side, he explained that defensive players also can’t move past the line of scrimmage before the snap, only that’s called off-sides.

The penalty for a false start is five yards for the offensive team.

“Oh, that’s mean,” Nash-Betts quipped in response.

Jason, who was responsible for snapping the ball in his playing days, enthusiastically agreed.

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“Why do they say they penalized you if you make a touchdown and you celebrate?” she asked next. “I gave you a whole group of dances to do. Why won’t they let you celebrate if you get a touchdown?”

Through their laughs, Jason and Travis actually explained how the unsportsmanlike conduct or excessive celebration penalties occur.

“You’re speaking on behalf of, I think, every fan on the planet,” Jason said. “Everyone wants to see more dances. You can dance —”

Travis cut him off to clarify, “You can’t twerk.”

Jason added that players are restricted from simulating any sexual acts or use of weaponry, while Travis explained the fine that comes with it.

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“You get a FedEx delivery at your locker that tells you you just got fined for not representing the NFL in the proper way,” he said, again not able to hold back his laughter.

That laughter intensified when Nash-Betts dared ask if Travis ever received a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“Travis is basically a part-time FedEx delivery man,” Jason joked.

“My earlier years, I was not afraid to get fined,” Travis added. “I’ve gotten ejected from a game because I did something silly like that.”

Travis is referring to the time in 2016 when he was ejected from a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars for throwing his towel at an official after he believed the ref missed a call. The tight end was sure to note on “New Heights” that he has since become more guarded in how he conducts himself on the field.