NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 21
Offseason Workouts

Section 8
Enforcement

(a)

The head coach and the Club, who are jointly responsible for any conduct in violation of Sections 1, 2, 5 or 6 of this Article (including but not limited to the rules in Appendix G), shall be subject to a fine to be determined by the Commissioner, which fine(s) shall not be reimbursable by the Club or any other person. The NFLPA and any player involved in any such violation shall each have the right to enforce Sections 1, 2, 5 or 6 of this Article (including but not limited to the rules in Appendix G), through an expedited arbitration proceeding before the Impartial Arbitrator. Any head coach or Club that is the subject of a proceeding under this Section shall have the right to participate in the proceeding and to present a defense.

(b)(i)

The NFL and the NFLPA shall each designate one or more representatives to investigate claims of violations of the rules set forth above or any other rules set forth in this Agreement relating to offseason workouts. At the request of either party, these representatives will inspect appropriate areas of Club facilities without notice to the Club and, upon request from any representative, shall be provided, as quickly as reasonably possible, with a copy of all tape, film, other recorded evidence, or other documentation any representative deems relevant to any possible violation.

(b)(ii)

Within forty-eight (48) hours of the commencement of a complaint by the NFLPA to the NFL, or sooner if practical, the Executive Director of the NFLPA and the NFL Executive Vice President Labor & League Counsel shall be advised of the status of the complaint and these persons shall attempt to determine if a violation occurred. If they are unable to agree upon the outcome, the matter will be immediately referred to the Impartial Arbitrator who will render a decision within forty-eight hours of the submission of the dispute.

(c)

As soon as practicable after the commencement of any proceeding before the Impartial Arbitrator, the NFLPA shall be provided with a copy of all tape, film, other recorded evidence, or other documentation of any workout that is the subject of the proceeding if such materials have not already been produced to the NFLPA pursuant to Subsection (b)(i). If the Club fails to produce such materials then the Club’s next scheduled week of OTAs shall automatically be cancelled pursuant to Subsection (d)(ii) below, unless the Club proves that its failure to produce such materials is due to circumstances beyond the Club’s control.

(d)(i)

Commissioner Fines. In the event that the Arbitrator finds any violation of Sections 1, 2, 5 or 6 of this Article (including but not limited to the rules in Appendix G), or in the event that the NFL and the NFLPA agree that a violation has occurred as provided under Subsection (d)(ii) below, the head coach shall be subject to a fine in the amount of $100,000 for the first violation, and $250,000 for a second violation, and the Club shall be subject to a fine in the amount of $250,000 for the first violation and $500,000 for a second violation. If such a violation is found by the Arbitrator, or the NFL and the NFLPA agree that such a violation has occurred, the Commissioner in his sole discretion: (1) may promptly fine the head coach and the Club in the amounts specified above; or (2) after consultation with the Executive Director of the NFLPA, may fine the head coach and the Club some lesser amount, or no amount, if the Commissioner determines that (A) the conduct of the head coach and the Club were based upon a good faith interpretation of Sections 1, 2, 5, 6 or 8 of this Article or the rules set forth in Appendix G; or (B) did not constitute a material violation of such Sections. Any fines assessed by the Commissioner pursuant to this Subsection shall be donated as follows: Fifty percent to the Gene Upshaw Players Assistance Trust, and fifty percent to the Player Care Foundation. The NFL shall promptly provide the NFLPA with written evidence that the fine has been paid and donated in accordance with this Section.

(d)(ii)

Other Penalties. If the arbitrator determines that a violation has occurred, or if the Executive Director of the NFLPA and the NFL Executive Vice President Labor & League Counsel agree that a violation has occurred, the Club’s next scheduled week of OTAs shall be cancelled, excluding minicamps. If the arbitrator finds, or the Executive Director of the NFLPA and the NFL Executive Vice President Labor and League Counsel agree, that two separate violations of these rules occurred in the same League Year, the Club’s next scheduled week of OTAs shall also be cancelled, excluding minicamps, and the Commissioner shall cause the Club to forfeit a fourth-round draft selection in the next draft in which the Club has such a selection. The penalties described in the immediately preceding two sentences shall be imposed whether or not the Commissioner imposes a fine under Subsection 8(d)(i) of this Article.

(d)(iii)

For each League Year after the 2020 League Year, the fine amounts described in Subsection (i) above shall be adjusted by the same percentage as the change in Projected AR for that League Year compared to the Projected AR for the prior League Year up to a maximum of ten percent (10%) per League Year.

(e)

In the event any week of the Club’s offseason workout program, excluding minicamps, is cancelled, no player may work out at any team facility during the cancelled week. However, in such event, players participating in the Club’s offseason program shall be deemed to have participated in the required number of days for the cancelled week in order to qualify for offseason workout pay or any workout bonuses. No conduct occurring prior to the date upon which any arbitration proceeding is filed before the Impartial Arbitrator under these rules may serve as the basis for a finding of a second violation by a Club. A second violation by a Club in the same League Year must be predicated upon facts arising after the grievance alleging the first violation has been filed. Any violation that occurs in the last week of the Club’s offseason workout program will result in a loss of the Club’s first week of OTAs (3 OTAs) in the next offseason; provided, however, this carry-over cancellation will not constitute an independent violation in the next offseason. If the Club hires a new head coach after the offseason in which the violation occurs, the cancellation will not carry over for that Club; however, if the terminated head coach is hired by another NFL Club as a head coach, the carry-over cancellation will be assessed against the hiring Club in that offseason.

(f)

Except as provided above, these limitations on offseason workouts shall not preclude any player from working out on his own at any time, including weekends. By agreeing to the sanctions in this Section, the parties have not waived or affected in any way their respective positions as to the issue of the Commissioner’s authority to impose discipline, including the forfeiture of draft choices, for conduct within the scope of his authority under the NFL Constitution and Bylaws.

(g)

The NFLPA may designate representatives who can make unannounced visits to Teams to investigate compliance with the provisions of this Article, Articles 22– 24, and Appendix G. Such representatives may make no more than eight total such visits per Club in a League Year. The Club will provide the representative with access to the practice field, the locker room, the players’ dining facility, and a conference room if requested. The representative shall not have access to the Club’s training room or medical facilities during these visits. The representative shall be permitted access to the Club’s weight room in the sole discretion of the head coach.

(h)

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, after signing a confidentiality agreement satisfactory to the NFL at the start of each League Year, the NFLPA may request video from any offseason, minicamp, regular season or postseason practice without first initiating a formal proceeding under any applicable provision of this Agreement; provided, however, that such requests shall be limited to four Clubs per week and no more than four requests for any individual Club in the same League Year. All such requests shall be made by electronic mail to the NFL Management Council, which will procure the requested video and forward it to the NFLPA as soon as practicable.