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 milligrams 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.
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