NFL Rules for Suspension

NFL players can be fined for every thing from celebrating a touchdown too long to hitting a quarterback too hard or hitting a punter at all. The fines can be small to steep and always monetary, but it takes a little bit more for a player to actually be suspended by the league. The only time suspension comes up inthe NFL Rules is to say a player is "suspended" for one play because of illegal equipment. All other suspensions are handled under the discretion of the NFL commissioner.

  1. History

    • The NFL traces its roots back to the 1920s, and was a lawless league for its first two decades as players flaunted eligibility rules, contracts and gambling. However, that began to change in the 1950s as television exposure and higher standards of players made the game more popular. The league had to crack down on its image problems and gave the commissioner the ability to mete out penalties as he saw fit.

    The Hornung/Karras case

    • Elected in 1960, Commission Pete Rozelle brought a knack for marketing as well as zero-tolerance policy on crime. He knew gambling was rampant in the league, and in 1963 suspended two of its biggest stars Alex Karras and Paul Hornung from playing because they bet on NFL games. He rescinded the bans after one season.

    Steroid suspensions

    • In 1983, the league banned steroid usage, but fears over the drug lingered through the decade. In 1989, 13 players were suspended for usage. It was the biggest single swing of suspensions in league history.

    Conduct unbecoming the NFL suspensions

    • In the 2000s, the phrase "conduct unbecoming the NFL" became a catch-all for a reason to suspend. Commissioner Roger Goodell made the most famous use of this in 2007 when he suspended Tennessee Titan Adam "Pacman" Jones for the entire season due to multiple arrests and Cincinnati Bengal Chris Henry for eight games also for arrests.

    Drug suspensions

    • In 2005, the NFl and the players' association took a much harder stance on drug usage and suspensions. A player used to get a warning after one violation, but now gets an automatic four-game suspension for a positive test. A second arrest results in automatic suspenion. The commissioner can make any fine longer.

    Controversy

    • Some have said the commissioner's suspensions are too severe because in some cases a player was banned before convicted of a crime. The NFL maintains they are being fare.

    Other suspensions

    • Bengal running back Stanley Wilson was banned from the game for life following the 1988 season and remains that way. In 1990, Cardinal Earl Farrell was banned, and retired instead of seeking reinstatement. Three other players -- Dexter Manley, Frank Warren and Terry Taylor, were suspended for life in the 1989 and 1990, but were reinstated after one year, according to USA Today and other sources.