Feel the noise

Referee Bill Carollo and a crew of NFL officials were in camp to brief the players, coaches and media on rules changes and points of emphasis for this season.

Note to Vikings fans: The league has eliminated its longstanding (but almost never called) penalty for excessive crowd noise, so Metrodome fans will no longer have to worry about possibly costing their team a five-yard penalty or timeout.

In an effort to cut down on celebration delays, the NFL has added a five-yard penalty for spiking or throwing the ball at the end of a play and there will increased emphasis on in-your-face taunting, which remains subject to a 15-yard penalty and possible league discipline.