The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to changes to their policies on substance abuse and performance-enhancing drugs. The players union sent a memo to player agents on Tuesday notifying them of the changes.
According to the memo, the league and union agreed to increase the positive THC level from 150 ng/ml to 350. The two sides also agreed to reduce the fines for a positive test.
In the past, players would receive a half-game fine for their first violation/positive test. Now players will receive only a $15,000 fine. The old punishment for a second violation was one game. Now it is a $20,000 fine and no missed playing time. A third violation used to carry a two-game fine, but now is reduced to a one-game fine. Four violations or more used to draw a three-game suspension, but now will call for a two-game ban.
The league and union also agreed to a reduction in fines for missed tests. In the past, a missed test drew a $20,000 fine. A second violation drew a one-game fine, a third missed test drew a two-game suspension and four or more missed tests drew a four-game suspension. Now, however, if there is a missed test, the parties will confer within 10 business days of the missed test.
If the NFL believes it was not a deliberate effort to avoid testing, the player will have the ability to appeal the punishment. The first missed test punishment will remain at $20,000. But the punishment for a second missed test is $45,000, and a third missed test will draw a two-game fine while four-plus missed tests will receive a four-game suspension.
Under the updated terms of the policy, teams will be informed of the penalty and that there was a violation of the substance abuse or performance-enhancing drugs policy. But now, teams will no longer be informed of what the banned substance was.
The NFL and NFLPA also agreed that a player’s number of missed tests will reset at zero following a period of time with no additional missed tests for either substance abuse or performance-enhancing substances. Another change involves the inclusion of a $15,000 fine for players who record and post the collection process of testing for either substance abuse or performance-enhancing drugs on social media.
(Photo: Ric Tapia / Getty Images)
