NFL Toughen Penalties on Domestic Violence

On Thursday, in a letter sent to the owners of the National Football League’s thirty-two teams, NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell introduced new guidelines of punishment for any league personnel who commit offenses relating to domestic violence or sexual assault. The guidelines see the implementation of a six-game suspension for a first offense and a lifetime ban from the sport for a repeat offence.

Commissioner Roger Goodell informed team owners that the rule was coming in with immediate effect in what can be described as the first step towards making tackling and dealing with domestic violence an NFL priority.

The six-game suspension would be without pay and the length of the penalty could increase in cases involving weapons, choking, repeated striking, or when an act is committed against a pregnant woman; or in the presence of a child. An employee involved in a prior incident before joining the NFL could also be the subject of a longer ban. A second-time offender may petition for reinstatement after one year but there would be no assurance the petition would be granted.

In his letter to the teams, Goodell wrote:

"We clearly did so in response to a recent incident of domestic violence.”

“My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families. I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values.”

As part of the new guidelines, Commissioner Goodell will also be identifying “at risk” for committing offences and offering those confidential counselling to personnel and families, refusal could affect future discipline. To be counted as an "offense," a player would not necessarily have to be convicted in a court of law, but each incident will be judged on its own merits. The updated personal conduct policy had the approval of all 32 owners.

Commissioner Goodell wrote: "Our personal conduct policy has long made clear that domestic violence and sexual assault are unacceptable. We clearly must do a better job of addressing these incidents in the NFL. And we will," the commissioner wrote.”

A matter of days following Goodell’s letter to the teams, Baltimore Ravens announced a three-year partnership with House of Ruth, one of the nation’s leading centres for helping victims of domestic abuse. This partnership included a $600,000 donation from the team, training for the players and staff and promotional work for the centres by the team.

The National Football League have worked closely with Beyond Sport, in 2013 it was awarded Sport Federation or Governing Body of the Year for its multifaceted approach to bringing its community relations platforms to life collaborating with all 32 teams. The NFL foundation provides funding to each team for localised outreach initiatives.