In preparation for the upcoming season, the NFL has instituted a set of new guidelines attempting to restrict how fans can use social media applications like Facebook and Twitter to talk about professional football. Under the rules, the NFL says fans are encouraged to circulate messages about teams and players, but cannot post play-by-play accounts of actual games.
The NFL also aims to prohibit fans attending games in person from posting large quantities of videos shot from the stands onto sites capable of hosting videos, such as YouTube, Facebook or MySpace. The NFL sells exclusive rights to television networks and radio stations to broadcast the games, says NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, and posting text or video recaps of each play could undermine the league and its broadcasting partners’ efforts to make money airing the games.
If the NFL identifies fans violating the new rules, league officials say they’ll contact them and tell them to stop posting text or video. If fans refuse, the league will consider filing a lawsuit, McCarthy said.