NFL Announces Severe New Penalties For Domestic Violence

In a memo sent to the owners today, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced massive new punishments for all NFL personnel—not just players—who commit domestic violence offenses. Offenders will be suspended six games for a first offense, and receive an indefinite ban for a second, with the ability to apply for reinstatement after one year.

See: So What's Actually New About The NFL's New Domestic Violence Policy?

In the letter, Goodell specifically cited the league's actions regarding Ray Rice as the motivation behind these new rules.

"At times, however, and despite our best efforts, we fall short of our goals. We clearly did so in response to a recent incident of domestic violence. We allowed our standards to fall below where they should be and lost an important opportunity to emphasize our strong stance on a critical issue and the effective programs we have in place. 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 rules fall under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy, which means the league can implement this without input from the union or having to put it into the CBA. That alone is almost as shocking as the severity of the punishments.