Post Ray Rice Incident, NFL Announces Tougher Penalties for Players Accused of Domestic Violence

My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families. I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values. I didn’t get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.

The commissioner told teams to distribute his memo to all players and to post it in locker rooms. It reads in part: “Domestic violence and sexual assault are wrong. They are illegal. They are never acceptable and have no place in the NFL under any circumstances.”

Rice’s suspension begins Saturday.

An initial domestic violence offense will draw a six-week ban without pay, although the memo says “more severe discipline will be imposed if there are aggravating circumstances such as the presence or use of a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child.”

A second offense will result in banishment from the league, but a player will be allowed to petition for reinstatement after a year.

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