NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Appendix G
Offseason Workout Rules


Except for certain specified minicamps, any offseason workout programs or classroom instruction shall be strictly voluntary. No Club official shall indicate to a player that the Club’s offseason workout program or classroom instruction is not voluntary (or that a player’s failure to participate in a workout program or classroom instruction will result in the player’s failure to make the Club or any other adverse consequences). Offseason programs may take place for nine weeks. Workouts shall be limited to four days per week; such workout programs are not permitted on weekends. The nine weeks may include no more than ten days of organized team practice activity. This does not preclude any player from working out on his own on other days, including weekends. Contact work (e.g., “live” blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run), is expressly prohibited in all offseason workouts.

Voluntary offseason workout programs are intended to provide training, teaching and physical conditioning for players. The intensity and tempo of drills should be at a level conducive to learning, with player safety as the highest priority, and not at a level where one player is in a physical contest with another player.

Teams are to provide their players and the NFL the schedule for the program, including designation of any days on which organized team practice activity will take place, pursuant to the rules set forth in Article 21 and any changes to the schedule for the program.

The following rules shall also apply to the ten days of organized team practice activity:

  • No pads except approved protective shirts, protective knee or elbow pads. Helmets are permitted.
  • All organized team practice activity shall be conducted pursuant to the rules for Phase Three activities, which are set forth in Article 21, Section 2(c)(iii) of this Agreement.
  • No live contact; no live contact drills between offensive and defensive linemen.
  • 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills will be permitted, providing no live contact takes place.
  • Outside of the 10-yard line, simulated press coverage is permitted using hand placement (versus jamming) during 11-on-11 drills and related position group one-on-one drills (e.g., footwork and release work (no “live-contact” or “bump-and-run”). During simulated press coverage drills, hand contact between a defensive player and a receiver is permitted provided the defensive player does not impede the receiver or alter his route and no live contact occurs.
  • The NFL will monitor all Clubs during the offseason to ensure player safety and adherence to live contact guidelines.
  • Maximum six hours per day, with a maximum two hours on field, for any player.