In an effort to reduce celebrations, the NFL revised its rules in 2006 to include an automatic 15-yard penalty for any player who leaves his feet or utilizes a prop, such as a towel, the goal post or post base, or, more precisely, the football. The new rule was created to prevent players from avoiding or delaying contact by jumping into each other's arms or pats on the back. Prior to the revision, there was no specific penalty listed for celebrants who jumped into their own fans' seats. However, since those seats are part of the playing field and therefore constitute physical contact, many officials ruled that players were offside if they left their feet before touching the ground. The new rule was designed to remove some of the strategy from the act of celebrating a touchdown, but it has been criticized for being too soft. Many believe that players should be able to decide for themselves what role they want to play on offense and defense after scoring a touchdown. Some fans also complain that the new rule prevents them from having fun by making them feel uncomfortable about clapping for others if they leave their feet first. The new rule was adopted to help prevent injuries due to excessive enthusiasm by players. Prior to the revision, several players had suffered broken bones when opponents tackled them while airborne.