In honor of football season, I thought it would be fun to see what penalties can be thrown at the praise team!
- False Start: when the worship leader skips the lead break & jumps back into the chorus.
- Roughing the Pastor: when the praise team takes too much time leaving the sermon rushed or going past 12:00.
- Illegal Use of the Budget: when the praise team buys a killer sound and light system with a smoke machine and pyrotechnics.
- Penalty Challenge Flags: when deacons throw the penalty flag to challenge the key the praise team sings the newest Tomlin tune.
- Delay of Benediction: when the praise team repeats the final song’s chorus until it is memorized by the congregation.
- Encroachment: when the praise team knows the message is 25 minutes long and they don’t start the sermon video until 11:40.
- Face Masking: when the praise team makes the congregation sing songs of personal reflection & commitment, thus challenging people to remove the masks they often wear to church.
- Holding: when the praise team tells people to hold hands for prayer, or while singing a “community building” song (like “bless be the tie that binds” or “we are one in the bond of love”). Man-up the church!
- Illegal Contact: when the praise team takes that command to “greet one another with a holy kiss” too far.
- Illegal Formation: when the praise team sets up with three guitars, a bass guitar, two drummers, a keyboard and four vocalists.
- Illegal Motion: when the praise team gets people worked up swaying to the music, closing their eyes and raising their hands, so that the deacons have to step in.
- Neutral Zone Infraction: when the praise team allows the front row to form a mosh pit.
- Offside: when the praise team sets up the stage with a total lack of symmetry. Alternate penalty: when the praise team is so loud on the final song that someone responding to the invitation must be taken off to the side to talk or pray.
- Intentional Grounding: when the praise team makes people sit down during the offering time music.
What other penalties will you add to this list? Comment below.