NFL Enacts Tougher Domestic Violence Penalties After Ray Rice Criticism

Even as fans continue to debate whether Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice received a slap on the wrist for a domestic assault, the NFL has implemented tougher penalties for players involved in domestic violence.

The Baltimore Ravens, as well as the National Football League, have been heavily criticized for Rice’s two-game suspension for reportedly knocking his wife unconscious during a February fight.

On Wednesday, ESPN reports, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell outlined new rules that call for a six-game suspension for a first offense and a lifetime ban from the league for a second offense. A second-time offender may petition for reinstatement after one year but there is no assurance the request would be granted.

The increased penalties are not retroactive, so Rice’s case will not be affected.

In a letter to NFL team owners, Goodell said his decision in the Rice case was the wrong one.

“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,” Goodell wrote. “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.”

Katherine Redmond, an expert in domestic violence who has consulted with professional teams, told USA Today the move marks “a monumental day in sports.”

“This has been a big civil rights issue, the basic right that women should be treated as human beings,” said Redmond, founder of the Denver-based National Coalition Against Violent Athletes. “Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened a lot of the time in sports.”

Rice, who in July was slapped with the suspension and $500,000 fine, earlier this month corrected what many critics labeled a misstep when he publicly apologized to his wife. In May, Rice publicly apologized to his teammates and fans, but his remarks then omitted his wife, Janay.

“My actions were inexcusable. My actions are something I have to live with the rest of my life,” Rice said Aug. 1, according to WJZ TV. “I didn’t publicly apologize to my wife. I know that hit home for a lot of people,” Rice said. “I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life. Me. She can do no wrong. She’s an angel.”

TMZ Sports video shows Rice dragging his now-wife, Janay Palmer, from an elevator at a casino in Atlantic City after prosecutors say he punched her. Rice would not specify what happened in Atlantic City, the TV station reports, but says he takes responsibility and is focused on moving forward. The couple is undergoing marriage counseling.

At a press conference during the NFL Hall of Fame festivities, Goodell said domestic violence is not acceptable, but argued the two-game penalty for Rice is consistent with other punishments issued by the league.

Some critics have questioned the two-game suspension for Rice, while players caught using drugs have typically been suspended for four games. The NFL’s contract with the players’ union outlines how punishment for drug usage is meted out, Goodell told reporters.

Rice will make his official start with the Ravens on Sept. 21 against the Cleveland Browns.

Related:

• Ray Rice Apologizes to Wife: ‘Angel’ Not at Fault
• ‘Disappointing’: Ravens React to Ray Rice Announcement
• Ray Rice: ‘I Won’t Call Myself a Failure’
• NFL Officials Make Decision on Ray Rice Suspension
• Rice Admitted to Pre-Trial Intervention Program
• Ray Rice Pleads Not Guilty, Deal Pending
• Day After Ray Rice Indicted on Assault Charge, He Weds Fiancée
• Baltimore Ravens Running Back Ray Rice Faces New Criminal Charge
• Ray Rice Arrested in Atlantic City

» Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice at a July 31 press conference. Photo Credit: Screenshot from ESPN