The first day of a Club’s preseason training camp shall be limited to physical examinations, meetings, and classroom instruction; no on-field activities shall be permitted other than running and conditioning. On-field activities are limited to Phase One-type conditioning, timing and testing, except that all coaches are permitted on the field. No helmets or protective shirts are permitted. No footballs may be used (“dead ball” activities only). No plays or walk-throughs are permitted. No individual player instruction or team drills are permitted. Nothing shall prohibit a Club from administering a conditioning test provided that such test must be reasonable and appropriate to determine the player’s ability to participate in the individual and team drills permitted by this Article. No such test may be given solely for the purpose of disciplining a player who reports to preseason training camp out of shape or overweight.

On days two through five of preseason training camp, no live contact shall be permitted. Players may be on the field no more than 3.5 hours. Two on-field sessions are permitted as follows: one session may be a full speed practice, which can be no longer than 2.0 hours. This session may include all customary practice activities at the head coach’s discretion. The other session on the same day may be for a maximum of the remaining 3.5-hour on-field time, and is limited to only walk-through instruction and drills and plays conducted at an acceptable walkthrough pace (i.e., Pro Bowl practice pace), as demonstrated in a video jointly approved by the parties, with offensive players lining up across from defensive players, or kicking team players lining up across from return team players. No helmets may be worn during the second practice. The two on-field practices may be conducted in either order.

On days two and three, helmets and jointly-approved protective shirts are permitted for the full speed practice.

On days four and five, helmets and jointly-approved protective shirts, shells and spiders are permitted for the full speed practice (shells and spiders shall be jointly approved by the parties).

As provided in Article 35, all players shall receive a mandatory day off on the day following the completion of the on-field acclimation period for players who are required to report to training camp on the mandatory reporting date for veteran players.

Following the five-day on-field acclimation period, two-a-day practices shall be permitted, subject to the following rules: (i) players may be on the field for a total of no more than four hours per day; (ii) players may participate in no more than one padded practice per day, which shall be no longer than 2.5 hours of on-field activities; (iii) there must be at least a 90 minute interval between practices; and (iv) the second practice on the same day may only be for a maximum of the remaining four-hour on-field time, and shall be limited to only walk-through instruction and drills and plays conducted at an acceptable walkthrough pace (i.e., Pro Bowl practice pace), as demonstrated in a video jointly approved by the parties, with offensive players lining up across from defensive players, or kicking team players lining up across from return team players. No helmets may be worn during the second practice. On days on which either a padded practice or a fullspeed, non-padded practice is scheduled, but no second practice is scheduled, the padded practice or the full speed, non-padded practice remains subject to the 2.5-hour time limit for on-field activities. The two on-field practices may be conducted in either order. The 2.5-hour limit on padded practices and full-speed, non-padded practices shall begin as soon as position coaches begin to coach a player or players on the field. Padded practices may not be held on more than three consecutive calendar days, and such three-day practice periods may not be held more than three times during preseason training camp. Additionally, none of the three permissible three-day practice periods may begin until at least three calendar days have elapsed since the conclusion of the Club’s previous three-day practice period. During the period between the mandatory reporting date for veteran players and the final day of preseason training camp, no Club may hold more than a total of sixteen padded practices. In any League year with three or fewer preseason games (excluding the Canton Hall of Fame Game or any American Bowl game scheduled around the Canton Hall of Fame Game), the final week of preseason training camp shall be a bye week (i.e., no games are scheduled), and a Club may hold one padded practice subject to the rules set forth in this Subsection unless the parties agree otherwise. All other practices held during the bye week may be full speed, non-padded practices subject to the rules set forth in this Subsection except that (i) players may be on the field for a total of no more than 3.5 hours per day; (ii) players may participate in no more than one full speed, non-padded practice, which shall be no longer than 2.0 hours of on-field activities; (iii) there must be at least a 90 minute interval between practices; and (iv) the second practice may be for a maximum of the remaining 3.5 hour on-field time and is limited to only walk-through instruction and drills and plays conducted at an acceptable walkthrough pace (i.e., Pro Bowl practice pace), as demonstrated in a video jointly approved by the parties, with offensive players lining up against defensive players, or kicking team players lining up against return team players. No helmets may be worn during the walkthrough practice. The definition of a “padded practice” under this Article shall be the same as the definition used for regular season practices in Article 24, Section 1(c) of this Agreement. In the event that a Club begins a padded practice but such practice is cancelled within sixty minutes of its commencement due to inclement weather or for any other reason beyond the Club’s control, such practice shall not count as a padded practice under this Article or Article 24.

For players who qualified for the Rookie Football Development Program to be held during the 2020 League Year pursuant to Article 22, Section 8, for the 2020 League Year, no such player may be required to be at the Club facility for more than 13 hours on any given day, which time limit begins to run at the start of the first scheduled team activity (e.g., team meeting, position group meeting, special teams meeting, practice, group lift, etc.). Once the clock begins to run, it runs continuously for all players (i.e., not on an individual player basis) until the conclusion of the last scheduled team activity. Transportation to and from the Club facility does not count against the time limit. Activities such as physical therapy, treatment, taping, meals and/or snacks do not count against the time limit unless they coincide with, or are held between, team activities. Players may not be required to return to the club facility until at least 11 hours have elapsed since the conclusion of the last scheduled team activity on the previous day, except that no team activity may begin prior to 6:30 a.m. local time. For the 2021 League Year, the maximum time limit set forth above for players who qualified for the Rookie Football Development Program in the applicable League Year shall be reduced to 12.5 hours; provided, however, that if, in the 2021 League Year, there are seventeen regular season games, this time limit shall be further reduced to 12 hours. For the 2022 League Year and any subsequent League Year, the maximum time limit set forth above for players who qualified for the Rookie Football Development Program in the applicable League Year shall be reduced to 12 hours; provided, however, that after the second preseason game in each of those League Years (excluding the Canton Hall of Fame Game or any American Bowl game scheduled around the Canton Hall of Fame Game), this time limit shall be further reduced to 11 hours.

For players who did not qualify for the Rookie Football Development Program to be held during the 2020 League Year pursuant to Article 22, Section 8, for the 2020 League Year, no such player may be required to be at the Club facility for more than 12.0 hours on any given day, which time limit begins to run at the start of the first scheduled team activity (e.g., team meeting, position group meeting, special teams meeting, practice, group lift, etc.). Once the clock begins to run, it runs continuously for all players (i.e., not on an individual player basis) until the conclusion of the last scheduled team activity. Transportation to and from the Club facility does not count against the time limit. Activities such as physical therapy, treatment, taping, meals and/or snacks do not count against the time limit unless they coincide with, or are held between, team activities. Players may not be required to return to the club facility until at least 11.0 hours have elapsed since the conclusion of the last scheduled team activity on the previous day, except that no team activity may begin prior to 6:30 a.m. local time. For the 2021 League Year, the maximum time limit set forth above for players who did not qualify for the Rookie Football Development Program in the applicable League Year shall be reduced to 11.5 hours; provided, however, that if, in the 2021 League Year, there are seventeen regular season games, this time limit shall be further reduced to 11.0 hours. For the 2022 League Year and any subsequent League Year, the maximum time limit set forth above for players who did not qualify for the Rookie Football Development Program in the applicable League Year shall be reduced to 11 hours; provided, however, that after the second preseason game in each of those League Years (excluding the Canton Hall of Fame Game or any American Bowl game scheduled around the Canton Hall of Fame Game), this time limit shall be further reduced to 10 hours.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, or anything in Article 24, it shall not be a violation of any provision of this Agreement pertaining to the prohibition or limitation on wearing of helmets or shoulder pads, nor shall it constitute a “padded practice,” if: (i) quarterbacks, kickers, punters, and/or long-snappers only wear helmets and/or shoulder pads during practice at the option of the player; (ii) a player who, because of a head injury, is directed by the Club physician to wear a helmet as a precautionary measure at all practices; or (iii) the quarterback and/or the defensive player who receives signals from the coaching staff via helmet communication wear helmets during the team period in which helmets are used for such communication.

Prohibited Drills. The following drills are prohibited during preseason, regular season, and postseason “padded” practices:

• (1) Bull in the Ring/King of the Circle
  Defined: Prior to the start of the drill players stand in a circle surrounding one player in the middle. Each player is assigned a number. The drill begins when a coach calls out a number. The player to whom that number was assigned is then required to charge at the player standing in the middle of the circle. Coaches may call more than one number at a time, resulting in multiple players charging the player in the middle.
• (2) Oklahoma Drill
  Defined: Players begin the drill barricaded on each side and lined up directly across from each other. (The players could be a defensive tackle, offensive lineman, ball carrier, and linebacker, or defensive back versus a wide receiver and ball carrier). Upon the start of the drill, players attack each other straight on with no angles. After contact the defender is attempting to shed a block while the offensive player is attempting to create a vertical drive block or a defender attempting to tack the ball carrier runs directly downhill as the ball carrier runs directly through a defender without the ability of either to avoid linear contact due to the barricade on each side with the goal of freeing or tackling the ball carrier.
• (3) OL/DL In-Line Run Blocking/Board-Drill
  Defined: Two players begin the drill by aligning directly across or slightly offset from one another within an artificially confined area, such as between boards, straddling a board or confined by other similar objects or as otherwise indicated by a member of the coaching staff. Upon the snap, players are directed to physically engage with each other off the ball and challenge for vertical push with no attempt by the defensive player to evade the block. The intent of the rule is to prohibit one-on-one tests of strength within artificially confined areas that do not permit the defensive player to angle his approach, shed the blocker, or take other evasive action. This rule does not prohibit or limit one-on-one pass rush or pass protection drills that do not occur within an artificially confined area. (Prohibited during OL versus DL padded practice. Conducting this drill with or without pads and at walking or jogging pace is permitted).
• (4) Half Line/Pods/3-Spot
  Defined: Offensive and defensive line players line up in a partial formational set to practice run blocking. These drills could also include a running back and tight end. (Prohibited during offense versus defense padded practice. Conducting this drill with or without pads and at walking pace or jogging is permitted.)
  
  This rule is intended to prohibit “thud” live, in-line contact where there are no angles for an offensive player to block or for a defender to rush or pursue. The rule prohibits any drill that involves the following:
  • A subset of players (2-on-1; 3-on-2; 3-on-3, etc.)
  • Defensive players are directed to align directly across from offensive players or slightly offset and the offensive player would be instructed to block the defender straight on; and
  • Defensive players are not required to make run/pass reads; they are instructed to overtake the offensive players straight on.
  This rule does not prohibit Clubs from scrimmaging or conducting a drill with a limited number of players if upon the snap of the ball or a whistle being blown, players are instructed to take angles and defenders are instructed to read run/pass as in game situations.

Drills that include the essential elements of the above definitions are prohibited by this Subsection; provided however, that nothing in this Subsection shall be interpreted to prohibit “thud” or “live” blocking, tackling, pass rushing, and/or bumpand-run between or among any number of players during any team period of a Club’s padded practice including, but not limited to, running plays, passing plays, goal-line plays and special teams plays. Any Club that wishes to use a drill that may contain prohibited elements may submit a video of the proposed drill to the NFL for prompt review under the work rules prior to employing it in any practice setting. The NFL will provide a copy of the video to the NFLPA for its prompt review on the same business day. Running any of the above-prohibited drills will subject the head coach of the Club to the sanctions set forth in this Subsection or Article 24, Section 3, as applicable.

Joint practices involving two Clubs may be conducted on no more than two days in any week of the preseason and are prohibited on the day before a preseason game for either Club. In any League Year of this Agreement, the maximum number of joint practice days that any Club may schedule shall be determined by the number of preseason games the NFL elects to schedule (not including the Canton Hall of Fame Game or any American Bowl) in that League Year as follows: (i) three or more preseason games: maximum of four joint practice days; (ii) two preseason games: maximum of six joint practice days; and (iii) one preseason game: maximum of eight joint practice days; provided, however, that in the event a Club has a bye week during the final week of the preseason, no joint practices may be held during that week.