[NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. AP Photo]
An NFL player busted for smoking marijuana, or any other drug listed on the league’s substance-abuse policy, knows exactly what kind of punishment the league can hand down. The first offense is somewhat of a freebie, the second offense lands the player a four-game suspension, while a third instance will result in a year-long suspension.
The rules, and punishment for breaking them, are laid out in a no-nonsense, step-by-step outline in the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.
As clear as the methods for dealing with substance abuse are in the NFL, an area that’s not so clearly defined is in the realm of domestic violence. What happens to an NFL player if he hits his partner or significant other?
The answer, and punishment, can vary drastically. And that’s a problem.
Why is a decision concerning a domestic-violence arrest such a grey area for the NFL, while any substance-abuse arrest is a black-or-white punishment? It all has to do with the fact that there’s a policy in place for substance abuse, but there's nothing concrete about domestic violence.
Domestic Violence Proving to Be the NFL's Next Big Off-Field Hurdle
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