Aug 26 (Reuters) – The NFL and NFL Players Association said on Wednesday they will suspend players for one game if they commit three specified player-safety violations in a season, under an updated on-field accountability system aimed at reducing dangerous techniques.
“Player safety is a shared responsibility,” the league and union said in a joint statement. “These changes focus on the techniques that create the greatest risk while ensuring player, coach, and club accountability.”
The policy will place greater emphasis on hip-drop tackles, horse-collar tackles, launching, hits on defenseless players and blindside blocks.
Players who commit three offences in any of these categories during a season will be suspended for one game, and these violations would carry over into subsequent seasons.
Those who commit a single violation, however, will receive a portion of their fine back at the end of the season.
According to the NFL and NFLPA, players will start the 2026 season with a clean slate, and there will be a faster and more transparent process for reducing the impact of prior offences.
If a player commits a single offence in other eligible categories, they will have the entire fine amount returned at the end of the season. But the statement did not specify which categories are eligible.
Coaches will be required to attend meetings with the league when their players approach the suspension threshold, while clubs with excessive health-and-safety violations could face increased financial penalties.
Former NFL coach and player Ron Rivera will also join the pool of former players who oversee appeals hearings for on-field discipline.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
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