NEW ORLEANS -- It was a brief but ugly scene that marred the New Orleans Saints' first appearance before a national Monday night audience in seven years: fans unhappy with the officials throw beer bottles onto the field at the Superdome.

More than a dozen arrests later, local authorities and the NFL pondered their next move following the second such incident in two days.

"We are not going to tolerate objects being thrown from the stands," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "We will work with our clubs to review all aspects of these incidents and take whatever steps are necessary to prevent them from happening again."

Fans in the corner of one end zone reacted after officials flagged Saints cornerback Kevin Mathis for pass interference in the end zone against the Rams' Torry Holt. The call, late in the fourth quarter of New Orleans 34-21 loss to St. Louis, sparked a brief demonstration that left one side of the end zone littered with debris.

The incident, which lasted less than 30 seconds, came a day after fans in Cleveland threw bottles and other objects to protest the overturning of a game-deciding call by replay.

"I think we agree that this really was what you call a copycat incident after what happened in Cleveland," said Superdome general manager Doug Thornton.

Fifteen people in the Superdome were arrested and booked with disturbing the peace, public drunkenness and battery -- all misdemeanors that carry $500 in fines or six months in jail, said officer Joe Narcisse of the New Orleans police department. Another four were served summonses to appear in court and 11 others were expelled from the building.

Superdome officials would urge the district attorney's office to prosecute those charged with crime fully, Thornton said. He said they would also talk to the Saints about imposing a "death penalty" on season ticket holders involved in such events, stripping them of their tickets permanently

"We would revoke somebody's tickets immediately if they were caught taking part in such an incident," said Michael Stanfield, the Saints' manager of ticket sales and services.

Items thrown on the field included plastic beer bottles, plastic water bottles, cups, ice -- even a pair of binoculars.

The sale in stadiums of beer in plastic bottles began four or five years ago, Thornton said. It is popular with fans because it is easier to carry than cups and doesn't have the foam draft been can have. It's popular with stadiums because it's faster to serve and cuts down on the wait for service and lines, Thornton said.

Eliminating the bottles would cut the profit for teams and stadiums, Thornton said. However, he added: "Our decision to eliminate the bottles should not be effected by the loss of income. That's not going to be a consideration."

The Superdome had extra security officers, including state and city police on duty for the game. Dome officials halted beer sales by vendors in the stands after halftime and stopped all beer sales at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

The incident took place in the plaza seating, the best seats, closest to the field, where many season ticket holders sit. The area was particularly crowded Monday night because the Saints had sold 1,700 standing room only tickets.

The Saints were reviewing the decision to make the extra sales, however, Stanfield said.

Night games, when fans may have begun drinking before arriving at the stadium, traditionally cause more problems than day games, Thornton said.

The Saints played a Sunday night game against the New York Jets on Nov. 4. That night, 32 people were arrested, largely as a result between Jets and Saints fans, Thornton said.

Milt Ahlerich, the NFL's director of security, remained in town on Tuesday and met with Superdome officials most of the morning. Ahlerich has spent considerable time here the past month setting up heavy security for the Super Bowl, which will be played in the Superdome on Feb. 3.

Thornton said he would consult with league officials on solutions that might include bans on plastic containers and season ticket death penalties.

"I don't know what the solution is," he said, "but we can't tolerate this situation."